Use of new diet drugs likely to skyrocket – Harvard Gazette

New analysis of national data estimates that 137 million U.S. adults, more than half of the adult population, are eligible to receive anti-obesity drugs Semaglutide.

“These staggering numbers mean that spending on semaglutide and related drugs is likely to increase significantly in the coming years,” said Dhruv, corresponding author and deputy director of the journal. Mr. S. Kaji said. Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Outcomes Research Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “Ensuring equitable access to these effective but costly treatments and supporting individuals to maintain long-term treatment is a top priority for our nation's clinicians and policymakers. You should.”

of findingsa paper presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions and concurrently published in JAMA Cardiology, highlights the need to increase equitable access to this new class of medicines.

Semaglutide belongs to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. It is currently approved for the management of diabetes, overweight or obesity, and the treatment of recurrent cardiovascular disease. Approximately 15 million adults are taking semaglutide. Semaglutide stimulates insulin production in the pancreas and reduces the hunger hormone ghrelin, reducing appetite and slowing the rate at which the stomach empties. As a result, semaglutide lowers blood sugar levels and promotes weight loss.

Semaglutide has been shown to improve symptoms of sleep apnea and certain types of heart failure, and to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease.

By 2023, it was the best-selling drug in the United States based on total drug spending. However, data on its effectiveness for other health conditions is rapidly emerging, which may further expand its use in the future. For example, semaglutide has been shown to improve symptoms of sleep apnea and some types of heart failure, and to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease. Semaglutide and other products in its class are currently being evaluated for the treatment of liver disease, kidney disease, substance use disorders, and dementia.

Ivy Shi, an internal medicine resident at BIDMC, worked with Kazi to develop the analysis. Using data from the most recent five years of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a longitudinal study of the U.S. population conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, researchers found that U.S. adults 18 and older who are likely to: was identified. Eligible for semaglutide treatment based on currently approved indications. They analyzed information about 25,531 study participants collected through face-to-face interviews, physical examinations, and laboratory tests.

They found that of the 136.8 million U.S. adults eligible to receive semaglutide, 35 million were receiving semaglutide for diabetes management, 129.2 million for weight loss, and 8.9 million for cardiovascular disease. We discovered that semaglutide should be administered for secondary prevention. The target population for semaglutide includes 26.8 million adults covered by Medicare, 13.8 million adults covered by Medicaid, and 61.1 million adults covered by commercial insurance.

“The large number of U.S. adults eligible to receive semaglutide underscores its potential to transform the health of our population,” Shi said. “Previous research shows that more than half of people who took these drugs said they had difficulty paying for their treatment. Interventions to reduce financial barriers to access are urgently needed. ”

Co-author: Ivy Shi, Robert W. Yeh, Jennifer E. Ho, and Issa Dahabreh of BIDMC; and Sadiya S. Khan of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Disclosure: Sadiya S. Khan reported grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute outside the submitted work. Jennifer E. Ho reported grants from the National Institutes of Health during the conduct of the study. Issa Dahabre reported on contracts with the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and grants from the National Institutes of Health during the conduct of the study. In addition to the submitted research, Kazi reported grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the American Heart Institute, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and the Clinical Economics Institute. No other disclosures were reported.

Funding/Support: Dahabre is supported by grants from the National Library of Medicine (R01 LM013616), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01 HL136708), and the Institute for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (ME-2021C2-22365).