New study shows weight loss procedure beats out popular medication
DENVER (KDVR) — A new study is catching the attention of some weight loss experts.
The recently published research shows a noninvasive weight loss procedure is not only more effective but also more cost-effective than weight loss drugs like Ozempic.
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The study was published in the JAMA Network Open on Sunday. Researchers at Harvard looked at a five-year projection where they compared semaglutide to endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, or ESG.
It found ESG offered greater weight loss and cost savings than semiglutide. It also shows the cost of popular weight loss drugs would need to be reduced threefold to have competitive pricing.
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Dr. Frank Chae is a bariatric surgeon at the Denver Center for Bariatric Surgery at Sky Ridge Medical Center. He told FOX31 that the study is intriguing.
He explained a big reason for the higher cost associated with the weight loss drugs has to do with medical insurance.
“Right now, FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has authorized the use of the injection therapies and medications for people who suffer obesity with significant heart disease. For those who don’t suffer that, then we have to pay out of pocket, and these treatments can cost about $1,000 a month for medication therapies,” Chae said.
The study indicates when it comes to weight loss drugs, the dropout rate increased over time, which can lead to weight gain. Chae also points out there is not enough research yet to show how long patients should be on the weight loss drug.
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