Weight Loss After Antiobesity Medication Initiation Lowers Joint Revision Risk
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.
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 February 2025
Read this next
Meal Timing May Shift With Aging, Is Linked to Health Changes
FRIDAY, Sept. 5, 2025 -- Meal timing changes with age and may reflect health changes in older adults, according to a study published online Sept. 4 in Communications...
People With Obesity Value Respect and Being Listened to in Primary Care
THURSDAY, Sept. 4, 2025 -- Adults with obesity prefer a primary care visit characterized by respectful treatment and listening, according to a study published online in the...
14 Percent of U.S. Adults Initiate GLP-1 Receptor Agonist After Bariatric Surgery
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3, 2025 -- Fourteen percent of individuals initiate glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) after bariatric surgery, according to a study published...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.