Skip to main content

Weight Loss After Antiobesity Medication Initiation Lowers Joint Revision Risk

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Feb 27, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Feb. 27, 2025 -- For patients with obesity undergoing joint replacement, higher weight loss after initiating antiobesity medications within one year is associated with a lower risk for revision, according to a study published online Feb. 21 in JAMA Network Open.

Dongxing Xie, M.D., Ph.D., from Central South University in Changsha, China, and colleagues examined the association of the proportion of postoperative weight loss following antiobesity medication use with the risk for revision among patients with obesity undergoing hip or knee replacement in a retrospective cohort study.

The researchers found that the five-year risks for revision among 3,691 participants were 5.6, 4.4, and 3.7 percent for groups with weight gain or stable weight, small-to-moderate weight loss (2 to 10 percent), and large weight loss (≥10 percent), respectively. The hazard ratios were 0.75 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.55 to 1.04) and 0.57 (0.36 to 0.91) for the small-to-moderate and large weight-loss groups compared with the weight gain or stable weight groups. When the analyses were performed separately for hip or knee replacement, the results were similar. The hazard ratios for revision were 0.55 (0.32 to 0.93) and 0.49 (0.25 to 0.97) for the small-to-moderate and large weight-loss groups, respectively, compared with the weight gain or stable weight group in patients undergoing knee replacement, and 0.82 (0.54 to 1.25) and 0.53 (0.30 to 0.93) for patients undergoing hip replacement. Consistent findings were seen for 10-year risks.

"Antiobesity medication use, with relatively safe, effective, and sustainable weight loss, may be a good strategy for improving implant survivorship among patients with obesity undergoing hip or knee replacement," the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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

ASCO: GLP-1 Receptor Agonists May Reduce Risk for Obesity-Related Cancer, All-Cause Death

WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2025 -- For adults with diabetes and obesity, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are associated with a reduced risk for obesity-related...

Post-Kidney Transplant Adverse Outcomes Increased With BMI-BSA Obesity

TUESDAY, May 27, 2025 -- Combined body mass index (BMI)-body surface area (BSA) obesity is associated with an increased risk for post-kidney transplant (KT) adverse outcomes...

Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation May Aid Knee Pain

TUESDAY, May 27, 2025 -- Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) may be a safe pain-relieving treatment for people with knee osteoarthritis (OA), according to a...

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.