New prescription medications guidelines for weight loss released by American Gastroenterological Association
Obesity is a medical condition in which too much body fat negatively impacts your health. It is healthy to have some body fat. In fact, a healthy level of body fat is needed to survive. But too much fat can be harmful to your body. Obesity is most often measured by body mass index (BMI), a calculation of body weight compared with height. BMI isn't the only way to measure healthy weight. For most adults trying to shed pounds diet and exercise mostly fail in the long term. Recently new evidence-based guidelines were released by American Gastroenterological Association strongly recommending that these patients with obesity use recently approved medications coupled together with lifestyle changes.
The following medications, paired with healthy eating and regular physical activity, are first-line medical options and result in moderate weight loss as noted as a percentage of body weight (reported as the difference compared to percent weight loss observed in the placebo group).
Semaglutide, weight loss percentage: 10.8%
Phentermine-topiramate ER, weight loss percentage: 8.5%
Liraglutide, weight loss percentage: 4.8%
Naltrexone-Bupropion ER, weight loss percentage: 3.0%
"These medications treat a biological disease, not a lifestyle problem. Obesity is a disease that often does not respond to lifestyle interventions alone in the long-term," says author Eduardo Grunvald."Using medications as an option to assist with weight loss can improve weight-related complications like joint pain, diabetes, fatty liver and hypertension."
Reference:
Eduardo Grunvald, et al,AGA Clinical Guidelines on Pharmacological Interventions for Adults with Obesity,JOURNAL:Gastroenterology
Disclaimer: This website is primarily for healthcare professionals. The content here does not replace medical advice and should not be used as medical, diagnostic, endorsement, treatment, or prescription advice. Medical science evolves rapidly, and we strive to keep our information current. If you find any discrepancies, please contact us at corrections@medicaldialogues.in. Read our Correction Policy here. Nothing here should be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We do not endorse any healthcare advice that contradicts a physician's guidance. Use of this site is subject to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Advertisement Policy. For more details, read our Full Disclaimer here.
NOTE: Join us in combating medical misinformation. If you encounter a questionable health, medical, or medical education claim, email us at factcheck@medicaldialogues.in for evaluation.