A new US study has found patients are up to 300% ‘more likely to adhere to newer semaglutide medications for long-term weight loss than older anti- obesity drugs’.
Amid the international excitement surrounding semaglutides (such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus) – developed to treat type 2 diabetes but also being widely prescribed for obesity – researchers at Cleveland Clinic found patients prescribed Wegovy ‘tend to stick with it longer than older weight- loss drugs, with 40% still taking it a year later – a threefold increase from older anti-obesity drugs’.
Their finding were reported in the journal Obesity and experts told medicalnewstoday.com they offer ‘intriguing insights into the long-term use of anti-obesity medications’.
Study lead author Dr Hamlet Gasoyan said: ‘We wanted to conduct this study since there is very little known about patients’ long-term use of anti-obesity medications and the factors associated with non-persistence.
‘We were expecting to see individuals receiving novel AOM (anti-obesity medication) agents and those experiencing greater 6-month weight loss would be more likely to continue with their AOM treatment at one year, but we did not expect to see such a large difference in later-term persistence between semaglutide and the older-generation AOMs.’
From the data, the team concluded patients who experienced more successful weight loss were more likely to stick with their semaglutide prescription than those who were prescribed older anti-obesity drugs. Dr Gasoyan said: ‘This is encouraging and important information for clinicians, patients and policy-makers.’
However, prominent California bariatric surgeon Dr Mir Ali (not involved in the study) cautioned: ‘Achieving healthy and lasting weight loss is more complicated than simply taking a medication or getting surgery.
‘No matter what doctors do, whether it’s medication or surgery, these are just tools. If the patient adheres to adopting a better lifestyle with healthier eating habits, then they can have a great deal of success.
‘If the patient doesn’t change what they’re doing, they’ll have a hard time no matter what we prescribe.’
