The World Health Organization issued new guidelines on Monday recommending the use of GLP-1 drugs to treat obesity.
in the year new guidelinesThe United Nations health agency made two key recommendations: first, adult GLP-1 therapy can be used for the long-term treatment of obesity, except for pregnant women. He also recommended intensive behavioral therapy, including changes in diet and exercise, along with the use of medication.
“Obesity is a major global health challenge that WHO is committed to addressing by helping countries and people to control it effectively and equitably. Our new guidelines recognize that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing care,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, in a new statement. “While medication alone will not solve this global health crisis, GLP-1 therapies can help millions overcome obesity and reduce the harms associated with it.”
Both recommendations, however, are considered “conditional”. The WHO notes that the first recommendation is considered “conditional” because of limited data on the drugs’ long-term efficacy and safety, as well as cost and other factors. The second recommendation was graded “conditional” based on “low-certainty evidence” that intensive behavioral therapy improves outcomes of GLP-1 treatment.
However, the organization calls the drugs “more than a scientific breakthrough.”
“They represent a new chapter in society’s conceptual shift in how society approaches obesity, from a ‘lifestyle condition’ to a complex, preventable and treatable chronic disease,” says one. the article It was published Monday in the peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA. The article is written by Francesca Celletti, Senior Adviser on Obesity at the WHO Department of Nutrition and Food Security.
The World Health Organization highlighted the importance of affordable access to GLP-1 medicines, saying “urgent action is needed on manufacturing, availability and system readiness to meet global needs”.
“Even with rapid production expansion, GLP-1 therapies are projected to reach less than 10% of potential benefits by 2030,” says the WHO.
Well known brand names GLP-1 drugs In the US, there are Ozempic and Mounjaro, which are FDA-approved for the treatment of diabetes, and Wegovy and Zepbound, which are approved. to lose weight.
The WHO estimates that obesity affects more than 1 billion people worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths last year. It also said that in September it added GLP-1 therapies to the “List of Essential Medicines” for the management of type 2 diabetes in high-risk groups.
“With the new guidance, WHO provides conditional recommendations for the use of these therapies to help people with obesity overcome this serious health challenge, as part of a comprehensive approach that includes healthy diets, regular physical activity and support from health professionals,” the agency said in a news release on Monday.