Using glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) for weight problems treatment increased more than twofold in between the last half of 2022 and the last half of 2023, whereas the rate of metabolic bariatric surgical treatment stopped by around 25% throughout the very same duration, recommending a noteworthy shift in weight problems management techniques.
APPROACH:
- The current rise in using GLP-1 RAs for weight problems treatment appears to have actually accompanied the closure of hospital-based metabolic bariatric surgical treatment programs due to reduced need; nevertheless, empirical information on the relationship in between these patterns are not available.
- This cross-sectional research study utilized 2022 and 2023 medical and pharmaceutical claims information from 17 million grownups with industrial or Medicare Advantage insurance coverage who had weight problems however not diabetes.
- For each quarter, scientists determined clients with a claim for any solution of semaglutide or liraglutide and for metabolic bariatric surgical treatment and compared client qualities, consisting of age, sex, and comorbidities. Just GLP-1 RA prescriptions with United States Food and Drug Administration indicators as anti-obesity medications were thought about.
- Patterns in GLP-1 RA usage and metabolic bariatric surgical treatments per 1000 distinct clients were examined utilizing a direct regression design.
TAKEAWAY:
- Throughout the research study duration, 81,092 clients were recommended GLP-1 RAs, 5173 clients went through metabolic bariatric surgical treatment, and 1,547,174 got neither treatment.
- Clients going through metabolic bariatric surgical treatment were more clinically intricate, with 18.8% having at least 4 comorbidities vs 8.2% of those who were recommended GLP-1 RAs and 11.1% of those who got neither treatment (P
