Dec 16 (Reuters) – Powerful weight-loss medications are broadening the scope of healthcare use in the U.S., as more patients start prescriptions. Many are diagnosed with obesity-related conditions, while others take the drugs to qualify for medical services, including organ transplants and fertility treatments, according to patient records and interviews with doctors.
An exclusive analysis of hundreds of thousands of electronic medical records by Truveta, a health data firm, revealed small but noticeable increases in diagnoses for conditions like sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes within 15 days of starting a GLP-1 weight-loss drug between 2020 and 2024.
Besides addressing obesity-related health issues, some patients are using these medications to shed pounds and meet eligibility requirements for surgeries such as knee replacements and fertility treatments. Interviews with doctors and experts suggest this trend is growing, as patients seek care they previously avoided due to stigma and weight bias.
Dr. Rekha Kumar, an endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist in New York, explained, “This is a population that felt stigmatized and often didn’t return to doctors. But now that they are getting healthier, they are more engaged with clinicians and asking questions.”
The drugs, including Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic, and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound, have shown to lead to average weight loss of at least 15%.
Unclear Long-Term Impact on Healthcare Costs
Experts, including Andrew Friedson, director of health economics at the Milken Institute, caution that the long-term impact of these drugs on healthcare spending remains uncertain. While the initial diagnoses could lead to higher costs, early detection of conditions like diabetes could ultimately reduce long-term healthcare expenses.
Dr. Courtney Younglove, an obesity medicine specialist in Kansas, shared that she often refers patients for overdue routine exams, such as pap smears and colonoscopies. Many patients with obesity avoid healthcare for years due to negative experiences and stigma. “A lot of people with obesity don’t do much preventive health maintenance,” she said.
A Newfound Confidence in Seeking Care
Phil, a 43-year-old technology executive from Chicago, avoided doctors for years until he started taking a GLP-1 prescription in early 2023. After losing more than 30 pounds, he shared his experience with his regular physician and was pleasantly surprised by her supportive response. “It gave me the courage to ask for help with other conditions, like addiction and mental health,” he said.
The Truveta analysis revealed that, for every 1,000 patients starting a GLP-1 prescription, 42 were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes within 15 days in 2024, up from 32 in 2020. Diagnoses for sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease also increased slightly during this time.
Patients with higher levels of obesity were more likely to receive these diagnoses, with the most obese individuals twice as likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and three times as likely to develop sleep apnea, according to the Truveta data.
Wider Use of Weight-Loss Drugs
The data analysis, which covered over 33,000 GLP-1 prescriptions in 2020 and more than 224,000 in 2024, suggests the medications are being used more broadly. Health experts speculate that the drugs are becoming a tool for preventing conditions, not just treating them.
ResMed, a company that sells sleep apnea devices, reported an 11% increase in revenue for the fiscal year ending in June, partly attributed to the growing use of GLP-1 drugs. “These medications are bringing people into primary care like never before,” said ResMed CEO Michael Farrell.
Eligibility for Surgeries and Organ Transplants
As more people lose weight, experts predict that these drugs could also lead to more joint replacements and surgeries, such as organ transplants. Sara Mallatt, a healthcare research director at AlphaSense, explained that as patients’ BMI decreases, they may qualify for surgeries that were previously out of reach.
The University of Chicago Medicine recently launched a weight-loss clinic aimed at helping patients lose weight to qualify for organ transplants, with GLP-1 drugs playing a crucial role. “Before we had this clinic, transplant centers would just tell patients to lose weight on their own,” said Anesia Reticker, a clinical pharmacist at the center.
Retired Indiana steelworker Bensabio Guajardo, 68, was prescribed Ozempic in 2023 when he was deemed too obese for a double lung transplant. After losing 90 pounds, he underwent surgery in May, and his doctor later reintroduced the drug to manage his blood sugar.
Reticker noted that the clinic has received about 100 referrals from transplant centers in the Chicago area over the past year.
