Skip to main content

Expanding Access to Obesity Medications Could Avert 42,000 Deaths/Year

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Nov 7, 2024.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Nov. 7, 2024 -- Expanding access to obesity medications such as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and dual gastric inhibitory polypeptide and GLP-1 receptor agonists could avert 42,000 deaths annually in the United States, according to a study published online Oct. 15 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Abhishek Pandey, Ph.D., from the Center for Infectious Disease Modeling and Analysis at the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues quantified the annual mortality burden directly attributable to limited access to GLP-1 receptor agonists and dual gastric inhibitory polypeptide and GLP-1 receptor agonists in the United States. The impact of making these medications accessible to all those eligible was estimated.

The researchers projected that more than 42,000 deaths could be averted annually, including more than 11,000 among those with type 2 diabetes, with expanded access.

"Our findings provide compelling evidence for the transformative impact that expanded access to these medications could have on improving the public health of the nation," the authors write. "This underscores the urgency of addressing access barriers, including affordability, insurance coverage, and prescriber awareness. Such policies could galvanize a new era of American well-being and prosperity."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted November 2024

Read this next

Real-World Weight Loss With Semaglutide, Tirzepatide Less Than That Seen in Clinical Trials

THURSDAY, June 12, 2025 -- For patients with obesity initiating pharmacotherapy with semaglutide or tirzepatide, weight loss at one year is 8.7 percent on average, which is lower...

Adherence to Healthy Diet Improves Cardiometabolic Risk, Even Without Weight Loss

WEDNESDAY, June 11, 2025 -- A healthy diet improves cardiometabolic risk factors, even if not associated with weight loss (WL), according to a study published online June 5...

Hyperinsulinemia Linked to Abnormal Uterine Bleeding

TUESDAY, June 10, 2025 -- In premenopausal women, hyperinsulinemia is associated with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), with body mass index (BMI) playing a role in this...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.