Obesity pharmacotherapy - update 2023

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of obesity and its associated complications leads to the need to intensify its prevention and treatment. The treatment of obesity is currently based on lifestyle modification, which often fails in the long term. For the next decade, the long-term administration of anti-obesity drugs, i.e. drugs that have a positive effect not only on the reduction of excess weight but also on the health risks associated with obesity, seems to be a necessary part of obesity treatment, along with surgical approaches. This text provides an overview of the current options for the pharmacotherapy of obesity, including their indications, appropriate patient selection and adverse effects of treatment. It also provides an overview of studies that demonstrate the long-term efficacy and safety of these treatments. Although effective and safe anti-obesity drugs are currently available, it is not even partially covered by general health insurance. However, the cost of treatment is unaffordable in the long term for a large proportion of the obese. The virtual unavailability of effective antiobesity drugs for indicated patients has serious health-economic consequences. Failure to take advantage of effective therapeutic options, confirmed by evidence-based medicine, results in a high prevalence of obesity-related diseases, which are even more costly to treat economically and, in the case of type 2 diabetes, even less effective. We consider at least partial reimbursement of antiobesity drugs from general health insurance for cooperating patients under clearly defined conditions to be a necessary step towards improving the situation, and clearly cost-effective in its consequences.

Keywords: antiobesity; antiobesity drugs; complications of obesity; diabetes; heart failure; obesity; obesity complications; pharmacotherapy.