This is the most effective and long-lasting treatment for weight loss in obesity.
bariatric surgeryalso known as metabolic surgery, results in greater and more sustained weight loss compared to newer GLP-1 receptor agonist medications (such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro) and lifestyle changes, … The results were presented Tuesday at the 2024 annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). .
Researchers have found that lifestyle interventions such as diet and exerciseas a result average weight loss 7.4%but this weight was usually restored after 4.1 years.
GLP-1, bariatric and metabolic surgery were much better. five months weekly injections of semaglutide GLP-1 resulted in a 10.6% weight loss and nine months Tirzepatide led to a 21.1% weight loss. However, after stopping treatment approximately half the weight lost came back within a yearregardless of the drug used.
If injections were continued, patients receiving tirzepatide achieved a stable weight loss of 22.5% after 17 to 18 months. In patients taking semaglutide, the rate stabilized at 14.9% over the same period.
Metabolic and bariatric surgery, gastric bypass, and sleeve gastrectomy demonstrated overall weight loss of 31.9% and 29.5% one year after surgery, respectively. Weight loss of approximately 25% was maintained up to 10 years after surgery.
“Metabolic and bariatric surgery continues to be The most effective and long-term treatment for severe obesity. Unfortunately, it also remains one of the least used,” says study co-author, bariatric surgeon Marina Kurian of NYU Langone Health. »Surgery should play a larger role in the treatment of obesity and be considered earlier in the disease process. It is no longer a last resort and should not be stopped until a more serious condition has developed. There is no medical reason for this,” he adds.
Research shows that obesity can weaken or damage the body’s immune system, cause chronic inflammation, and increase the risk of many other diseases and conditions, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
According to ASMBS, approximately 280,000 metabolic and bariatric procedures were performed in the United States in 2022, representing only about 1% of those eligible based on BMI. In the United States, almost half of the population is obese.
“Although new drug treatments show promise and will allow more people to receive successful treatment, especially if prices fall and insurance coverage improves, we are still barely using the best tool we have to combat obesity: metabolic and bariatric surgery.” It’s safer and more effective than ever” says Ann Rogers, president-elect of ASMBS and professor of surgery at Penn State College of Medicine, who was not involved in the study. “For many people, the risk of death from obesity, diabetes and heart disease outweighs the risks of surgery,” he explains.