Pharmacotherapy for Obesity-Trends Using a Population Level National Database

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Pharmacotherapy trends
• Obesity treatment

Background:

• Obesity prevalence is rising globally.
• Anti-obesity therapeutic interventions are underutilized in the USA.
• Population-level data analysis is crucial for understanding treatment trends.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in anti-obesity pharmacotherapy utilization in the USA from 2010-2019.
• To assess the use of anti-obesity medications in adults with obesity and morbid obesity.
• To examine post-bariatric surgery medication trends.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an electronic health record database (Explorys, IBM Watson Health) for data from 2010-2019.
• Identified adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²).
• Analyzed annual rates of anti-obesity pharmacotherapy and post-sleeve gastrectomy medication initiation.

Main Results:

• 2.4% of adults with obesity received anti-obesity medications, with utilization increasing from 1.1% (2010) to 2.9% (2019).
• 3.5% of individuals with morbid obesity started weight loss medications within 5 years of sleeve gastrectomy.
• Women, individuals under 50, non-Hispanics, African Americans, and those with Medicaid or commercial insurance were more likely to receive pharmacotherapy.

Conclusions:

• A modest increase in anti-obesity medication prevalence was observed over the past decade.
• Anti-obesity pharmacotherapy remains significantly underutilized.
• Further research into barriers is recommended to enhance medication utilization in adults with obesity.