Pragmatic and Observational Research (Aug 2024)
Therapeutic Advances in Obesity: How Real-World Evidence Impacts Affordability Beyond Standard of Care
Abstract
Dimitrios Patoulias,1,2 Theocharis Koufakis,2 Ieva Ruža,3 Mohamed El-Tanani,4 Manfredi Rizzo5 1Outpatient Department of Cardiometabolic Medicine, Second Department of Cardiology, General Hospital “hippokration”, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; 2Second Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital “Hippokration”, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; 3Department of Endocrinology, Riga Eastern Clinical University Hospital, Riga Eastern Clinical University, Riga, Latvia; 4Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University (RAKMHSU), Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates; 5Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, School of Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyCorrespondence: Dimitrios Patoulias, Outpatient Department of Cardiometabolic Medicine, Second Department of Cardiology, General Hospital “Hippokration”, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Konstantinoupoleos 49, Thessaloniki, 54642, Greece, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: Obesity is currently considered a global epidemic, with rising prevalence worldwide and rather pessimistic projections. Based on its close interconnection with various co-morbidities, such as diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, obesity is associated with significant increases in morbidity and mortality, while it also poses a substantial economic burden for national healthcare systems. Apparently, the majority of individuals classified as obese do not achieve adequate weight loss with the adoption of a healthy lifestyle intervention, including dietary modification and physical activity. Fortunately, during the last decade, a significant progress in pharmacotherapy of obesity has been observed, with the introduction of agents that have gained approval from regulatory authorities, namely semaglutide, liraglutide and tirzepatide, due to their impressive results in body weight reduction, alongside their beneficial, pleiotropic effects. The aim of the present review article is to discuss on evidence retrieved from real-world studies regarding the efficacy of those agents in obesity treatment, with emphasis on cost-effectiveness data, towards an effort to tackle efficiently the progression of obesity epidemic.Keywords: obesity, body weight, semaglutide, liraglutide, tirzepatide, cost-effectiveness
