Cardiology Experts Push For Easier Access To Weight-Loss Drugs

In a reversal of previous views, experts are now urging a wider use of weight-loss drugs.

The American College of Cardiology says we should use glp-1 drugs earlier and not require patients to first try healthier lifestyle changes.

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In major trials, these drugs have been shown to reduce cardiovascular events, improve heart failure symptoms, and help manage fatty liver disease.

Not So Easy

But it's not as easy as it sounds. There are barriers that include limited insurance coverage, high out-of-pocket costs, and supply shortages.

According to Johns Hopkins University, nearly 42% of American adults were obese from 2017 to 2020, up from roughly 30% in 2000.

With that rise in obesity comes an increased risk for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.

Experts On Weight Loss

Gastroenterologist Sameer Khan of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine says the drugs work, but they are hard to find, expensive (around $700 a month without insurance for Wegovy) and need to be taken forever to maintain weight loss and improve cardiovascular health when researchers don't yet fully understand their long-term effects.

"We know these medicines play on a receptor in the brain -- the hypothalamus -- and we know that regulates our appetite, but scientists haven't figured out the precise mechanism for the way these medicines do that," Khan said. "There is some concern from health experts related to that."

Many patients experience nausea, diarrhea or vomiting as side effects, but these tend to lessen as the patient's body gets used to the regimen.

As for the cost, many insurance companies will cover the costs if the patient has pre-diabetes or diabetes, at least partially.

And some scientists, Khan included, worry about the long-term effects the drugs may have.

However, Khan and his colleagues agree that the short-term effect of curbing obesity and fighting heart disease may be worth the trade-off.

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