Long-term weight loss outcomes in older adults treated with obesity pharmacotherapy.
Overview
abstract
OBJECTIVE: Data on long-term outcomes with obesity pharmacotherapy in older adults is limited. This study evaluates the long-term effectiveness and tolerability of combination therapy, including FDA approved and off-label obesity pharmacotherapy, over a mean follow-up duration of 4.4 years in adults 65 years or older compared to younger adults. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 428 adults aged 18-75 years with overweight or obesity who initiated obesity pharmacotherapy at an academic weight management center between 2014 and 2016. Of these, 75 were 65 years or older. Data were manually extracted from electronic medical records. RESULTS: Weight loss was similar between older and younger cohorts (-11.5 % ± 8.7 vs. -10.1 % ± 10.9, p = 0.243) at a mean follow-up of 4.4 years. A greater proportion of older adults achieved ≥ 5 % weight loss (81 % vs. 69 %, p = 0.027); rates of ≥ 10 %, ≥ 15 %, and ≥ 20 % weight loss were comparable. Obesity pharmacotherapy discontinuation rate due to side effects was similar between groups. Among individuals with prediabetes, the incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) progression was 10.7 % in older adults and 4.8 % in younger adults. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults maintained clinically significant long-term weight loss with obesity pharmacotherapy, comparable to younger adults, with improvements in metabolic markers.
