Prescriptions for weight loss and diabetes drugs up 600% in US since 2020: Study

A new study finds that the number of young people in the United States being prescribed GLP-1 agonists such as Wegobee and Ozempic to treat weight loss and diabetes has soared 594.4 percent in just three years.

Recently, the demand for these drugs has skyrocketed across all age groups. Wednesday Published in JAMAAccording to the , between 2020 and 2023, the number of prescriptions written to people aged 12 to 25 increased from 8,722 to 60,567.

Young women and adolescent girls saw the largest increases in prescriptions.

The study looked at information from a database that reports prescriptions from more than 93 percent of U.S. retail pharmacies, but the data did not capture what exactly the prescriptions were intended to treat or whether patients actually used the medication.

For background, the study authors also looked at prescribing trends for other medications and found a 3% decrease in prescribing. Other drugs used in this age group during the same time period.

In this study, Ozempic (uses the active ingredient semaglutide) Trulicity (dulaglutide) and Vietta (exenatide), Which It is approved to treat type 2 diabetes and can also help with weight loss. Also, Saxenda (liraglutide) and Wegovi (semaglutide), Which Approved for weight management. Available for prescription It can be used in children ages 10 or 12. Tirzepatide, sold as Zepbound and Mounjaro, is only approved for adults.

The authors, from the University of Michigan Medicine and Yale University, said that given the number of young people for whom these drugs are prescribed, efforts to promote safe and appropriate prescribing should also include endocrinologists, family practice physicians and nurses.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are affecting more and more young people. According to a 2023 study, the number of 10-19 year olds with type 2 diabetes in the United States has doubled in the past 20 years. study It predicts that by 2060, the number of young people with type 2 diabetes will increase by 673%.

Obesity also This is a significant problem for young people in the United States, with the average young person being overweight. According to a 2023 survey. About 1 in 6 teenagers is overweight and 1 in 5 is obese. Research shows. Obesity alone affects 14.4 million children and adolescents in the United States.

If you become obese at a young age, weight Problems of old age, Research suggestsObesity or being overweight can also be a significant risk factor for other health conditions, such as heart disease, kidney disease, and even cancer. According to the study: In addition to mental health conditions.

Dr. Melanie CreeDr. Wang, a pediatric endocrinologist at Children's Hospital Colorado who has used this class of drugs in pediatric clinical trials for nearly a decade, says the drug is a breakthrough that not only helps children lose weight and lower blood sugar levels, but also reduces fat in the liver, improves heart and kidney function, and reverses “all the symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes.”

“So these drugs don't just lower blood sugar levels. They appear to reduce the complications that are associated with type 2 diabetes, and they affect many different aspects of the disease,” said Cree, who was not involved in the new study. “These drugs are really changing the face of both the individual experience of diabetes and the field as a whole.”

Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its guidelines for managing obesity, Said In addition to behavioral and lifestyle treatment for the entire family, weight loss medications are appropriate for children 12 years of age and older.

Cree said there are few drawbacks to these drugs. Some of her patients have stopped taking their medications or are unable to take them as well as they used to because of side effects such as nausea, and she would like to see more research done on the issue.

Cree says that once patients have access, they see a big difference, with many experiencing “significant” weight loss and it being life-changing.

The most serious drawbacks have nothing to do with the drug's physical effects.; Rather, the problem is that the drugs are expensive, and many patients don't have insurance that covers the cost, especially when they're used for weight loss. Plus, many patients have trouble getting their prescriptions filled because of drug shortages.

One parent whose child had lost a lot of weight told Cree that medication had helped her daughter gain it back.

“Another girl lost weight and went to prom last fall. It was her first dance and the first time she'd ever felt comfortable in a dress,” Cree said. “These young people's stories are truly inspiring and I'm honored to be a part of their lives and share in their transformations and moments.”