Share on PinterestWhat are the best FDA-approved weight loss drugs? New guidelines for obesity management answer the question. Image credit: Marc Tran/Stocksy.
- Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of different FDA-approved anti-obesity drugs.
- They recommended four drugs alongside lifestyle changes to treat obesity when lifestyle interventions alone are insufficient.
- Expert commentators note that access due to cost remains a hurdle for these drugs becoming mainstream.
The prevalence of obesity in the United States increased from 30.5% in 1999–2000 to 41.9% in 2019–2020. Obesity is related to many health complications, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, and certain kinds of cancer, including colon cancer.
While lifestyle interventions are key to managing obesity, they have limited efficacy and durability for many. Pharmaceutical interventions have thus been developed and approved for long-term management of the condition.
However, such drugs are limited in use. A small number of providers make up over 90% of prescriptions, partially due to a lack of familiarity with existing medications and limited insurance coverage.
Recently, the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) analyzed current pharmaceutical therapies for obesity and created new guidelines on to treat the condition.
They noted that for adults with overweight and obesity who do not respond adequately to lifestyle interventions, long-term pharmacological therapy is recommended.
“Obesity is now affecting close to 50% of U.S. adults and is emerging as a major global pandemic with real health and economic impacts,” Dr. Yuval Cohen, cofounder and CEO of Corbus Pharmaceuticals, not involved in the study, told Medical News Today.
“The combination of education, awareness, social action, and medicinal therapy — where needed — should be a top global healthcare priority,” he added.
“The new guidelines were greatly needed as the previous ones were based on older and outdated data; new research has shown that lowering the criteria for surgery will have a huge, beneficial impact …….