At this year’s , antiobesity drugs were a prominent part of the discussions. As John A. Batsis, MD says, 鈥淭here was a huge focus on newer medications, their efficacy, their safety, gaps in knowledge, and what future studies are needed.鈥� In his research, Dr. Batsis focuses on obesity and physical function in older adults. During the meeting, Batsis and other clinicians shared some pertinent issues regarding these and other therapies, including:
- The effectiveness of lifestyle changes – Small numbers of people lose significant weight and weight regain is common
- Concerns about body composition – Whether patients taking these drugs lose healthy lean body mass or develop nutritional deficiencies
- Their effectiveness for women – In a conference talk, Jacinda Nicklas, MD, MPH, showed that females often respond better to these newer antiobesity medications than males.
- Insurance coverage challenges – If neither Medicare and Medicaid nor commercial insurance pays for antiobesity treatments that cost thousands of dollars a month, they鈥檙e not accessible for most patients.
Read the full JAMA article: