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.

Read this next

Many Medicaid Enrollees Have Restricted Access to SGLT2 Inhibitors, GLP-1 Receptor Agonists

WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2025 -- Many Medicaid enrollees with type 2 diabetes have restricted access to cardioprotective medications, including sodium-glucose cotransporter-2...

Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Partly Mediate Association Between Prepregnancy Obesity, CVD Risk

MONDAY, April 21, 2025 -- Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) mediate a small proportion of the association between prepregnancy obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in...

Tirzepatide Dispensations Increased Rapidly After Approval

TUESDAY, April 15, 2025 -- After approval, tirzepatide dispensations increased markedly among adults with type 2 diabetes prescribed glucose-lowering medications (GLMs) and among...

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.