War refugees and veterans have been known to frequently develop neuropsychiatric conditions including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety disorders that tend to leave a long-lasting scar and impact their emotional response system. The shear stress, trauma, and mental breakdown from overnight displacement, family separation, and killing of friends and families cannot be described enough. Victims often require years of mental health support as they struggle with sleep difficulties, recurring memories, anxiety, grief, and anger. Everyone develops their coping mechanism which can involve dependence and long-term addiction to alcohol, drugs, violence, or gambling. The high prevalence of mental health disorders during and after the war indicates an undeniable necessity for screening those in need of treatment. For medical health professionals, it is crucial to identify such vulnerable groups who are prone to developing neuropsychiatric morbidities and associated risk factors. It is pivotal to develop and deploy effective and affordable multi-sectoral collaborative care models and therapy, which primarily depends upon family and primary care physicians in the conflict zones. Herein, we provide a brief overview regarding the identification and management of vulnerable populations, alongside discussing the challenges and possible solutions to the same.
Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) are incretins that regulate postprandial glucose regulation, stimulating insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells in response to food ingestion. Modified GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are being administered for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Strongly related to those disorders, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), especially its aggressive form, defined as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), is a major healthcare burden associated with high morbidity and extrahepatic complications. GLP-1RAs have been explored in MASH patients with evident improvement in liver dysfunction enzymes, glycemic control, and weight loss. Importantly, the combination of GLP-1RAs with GIP and/or glucagon RAs may be even more effective via synergistic mechanisms in amelioration of metabolic, biochemical, and histological parameters of MASLD but also has a beneficial impact on MASLD-related complications. In this current review, we aim to provide an overview of incretins’ physiology, action, and signaling. Furthermore, we provide insight into the key pathophysiological mechanisms through which they impact MASLD aspects, as well as we analyze clinical data from human interventional studies. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and future perspectives pertinent to this growing area of research and clinical medicine.
Jain et al. reflect on the Russia‐Ukraine war and argue that although there is a broad consensus on the need for intervention, focus should be on providing immediate accommodative measures.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and newer incretin-based co-agonists have transformed obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) management, achieving unprecedented weight loss and cardiometabolic benefits. However, their effects on body composition, particularly lean and skeletal muscle mass, remain incompletely defined. In this current review, we examined the influence of GLP-1 RAs and incretin hormone agonists on lean tissue, integrating physiological, clinical, and mechanistic perspectives. We first outlined the physiology of incretin hormones, with emphasis on their metabolic roles and potential relevance to muscle health. We then discussed sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity as conditions of rising clinical concern, given their overlap with obesity and metabolic disease. Evidence from preclinical studies and randomized clinical trials indicates that while GLP-1-based therapies predominantly reduce adipose tissue, including visceral and ectopic depots, but they also produce absolute reductions in lean mass, generally representing 20–30% of total weight loss. The extent to which these changes translate into impaired muscle function or increased vulnerability to frailty remains unclear. Preservation of lean and skeletal muscle mass is a critical yet underexplored aspect of incretin-based weight loss. Current studies are constrained by methodological heterogeneity, small sample sizes, and limited assessment of functional outcomes. Data on dual and triple agonists are emerging but remain limited. Future research should integrate standardized body-composition measures, mechanistic exploration, and adjunctive interventions such as resistance training or protein optimization.
The global obesity epidemic has reshaped the landscape of liver transplantation (LT). Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has become one of the leading indications for LT in Western countries, while excess adiposity simultaneously complicates donor and recipient selection, surgical outcomes, and long-term graft survival. Although previous studies have examined obesity, MASLD, and LT separately, an integrative overview of their bidirectional relationship and its clinical implications is lacking. This mini-review addresses that gap by synthesizing current evidence on how obesity influences LT candidacy, perioperative risk, graft outcomes, and metabolic complications after transplantation. We further highlight emerging concepts of “metabolic fitness,” the role of prehabilitation, novel pharmacotherapies, and bariatric interventions, while underscoring the urgent need for transplant-specific metabolic guidelines. Without upstream prevention and coordinated system-level adaptation, transplant programs will face an unsustainable burden of obesity-related liver disease.