Surgery still beats the Ozempic drugs and other GLP-1s in the weight loss study in the real world


When it comes to weight loss, surgery still reigns supreme. The research today shows that people subjected to bariatric surgery tend to lose a significantly greater weight than the people who take the most recent and effective GLP-1 drugs for obesity.

New York University scientists conducted the study, which analyzed the data of the real world by patients with obesity. The people who received surgery have lost five times more weight on average than two years than those to which a GLP-1 drug was prescribed, they discovered. The results also suggest that GLP-1 drugs are not as effective in the real world as they are in clinical studies, researchers say.

“I think the takeaway is when you see a new popular drug out, you have to take it with a grain of salt. And I think you have to wait a few years that the data of the real world come out, because it could fear the results you are seeing in the Senior Study Karan Study, a bariatric surgeon and a assistant professor of population at the Nyu School of Medicine,

Bariatric surgery – in particular the gastrectomy of the sleeve and gastric bypass – has long been considered the most effective treatment for obesity. People usually lose between 20% and 30% of the basic weight after surgery and often experience Lasting improvements Consequently in their general health.

But in recent years, the emergence of new GLP-1 drugs such as the traffic light (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) has radically changed the field of obesity medicine. These drugs are generally more effective (and safer) compared to past non -surgical obesity treatments, with people on average who lose between 10% and 20% of their weight in clinical studies. And they too have been associated health benefits which extend beyond weight loss.

At first glance, the data had suggested that GLP-1 drugs could approach, or also overcoming—The effectiveness of bariatric surgery. But according to Chhabra, there has not yet been a rigorous head -to -head comparison of these two different types of obesity treatments between patients of the real world.

Chhabra and His ColleAgues Examined the Anonymous Medical Records of Over 50,000 People Who Received Surgery (Either a Sleeve Gregrectomy or Gastric Bypass) or GLP-1 Therapy (Either Semaglutide or Tirzepatide) Through Nyu Langone Health or NYC Health + Hospitals + Hospitals Between 2018 and 2024. The Researchers Adjusted for Factors Like Age, Starting BMI, and Other Health Conditions to make the Two Groups Comparable. Patients and their weight loss results were monitored for two years.

On average, surgical patients lost 58 pounds (about 24% of their total weight) by the end of the second year, while the GLP-1 patients on average lost 12 pounds (about 4.7% of their total weight), a difference of five times. The results were slightly better for the people who remained on their drugs for a whole year (weight loss of 7%) and for those who took Tirzepatide, the most recent and effective GLP-1 drug available (from 8%to 9%). But the results are still well below the success seen with surgery, not to mention the results of the previous clinical studies.

The team discoveries were Presented This week during the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMMS).

There are probably several reasons why these drugs have not equally successful as they seem to be in the tests, Chhabra observed. Up to 70% of patients with GLP-1 interrupts use within the first year, for example. Some will stop because the side effects, generally gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and diarrhea, are too much to bear; Others can stop simply because they can no longer afford drugs (GLP-1 drugs are often not covered by insurance and can cost up to $ 1,000 per month without coverage). Many of the GLP-1 patients in their study have never reached the maximum dose.

Chhabra also suspects that many people in the real world do not get support care and follow-up they would have obtained from doctors in a clinical study. GLP-1 drugs have fueled a growing telemedicine industry, for example in which people are often prescribed drug professionals remotely remotely with which they will never interact personally. (Until recently, people could also easily get aggravated versions of traffic lights and tirzepatids, with even less guarantee of safety or effectiveness.)

The researchers do not say that people with obesity should not take GLP-1 drugs, nor that bariatric surgery is the ideal option for everyone. Some people may prefer one-off treatment, for example or not have insurance or resources necessary to cover long-term GLP-1 therapy. Others can be nervous to pass with any invasive procedure or have other pre-existing conditions that could complicate surgery but not GLP-1 therapy.

In the end, people must be aware of the respective pros and cons of these treatments, and those who choose to go with GLP-1 should manage their expectations, according to Chhabra.

“They must know that, at least for now in the real world, their weight loss will not be what we are seeing with surgery and they must also know that it is a treatment for life,” he said. “We still don’t have protocols for people to maintain weight loss once they have stopped drugs, so it is important that people recognize only those realities. And I’m afraid that many people are starting drugs without really knowing what they are entering.”

The team involves the next to sift more data to understand exactly because patients of real life in GLP-1 therapy do not lose all the expected weight.



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