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Date of Award

Spring 2024

Degree Name

Master of Medical Science (Physician Assistant)

Department

Physician Assistant; College of Health Sciences

First Advisor

Dr Kevin Basile

Abstract

For many Americans, the ability to lose weight and maintain their weight loss is a lifelong battle. In the United States, 41.9% of Americans are obese, causing an increase in medical costs and an increase in preventable obesity-related deaths. However, those statistics may change with the growing implementation of the FDA-approved medications Wegovy and Saxenda, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA), to treat weight loss in patients who are not type two diabetics. Since the first GLP-1 RA was approved, this drug class has quickly become a household name for the pharmacological treatment of weight management, causing many to surmise if this treatment will be the game changer to help many Americans lose the extra weight and be able to keep it off. This article will serve as a resource to help providers identify the patients who qualify for GLP-1 RA as a treatment for weight loss, provide key information to be shared with patients if they choose to begin pharmacologic treatment, as well as what the latest data indicates with the efficacy of this treatment.

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GLP-1 Receptor Agonists as a Treatment for Weight Loss in Overweight Patients

For many Americans, the ability to lose weight and maintain their weight loss is a lifelong battle. In the United States, 41.9% of Americans are obese, causing an increase in medical costs and an increase in preventable obesity-related deaths. However, those statistics may change with the growing implementation of the FDA-approved medications Wegovy and Saxenda, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA), to treat weight loss in patients who are not type two diabetics. Since the first GLP-1 RA was approved, this drug class has quickly become a household name for the pharmacological treatment of weight management, causing many to surmise if this treatment will be the game changer to help many Americans lose the extra weight and be able to keep it off. This article will serve as a resource to help providers identify the patients who qualify for GLP-1 RA as a treatment for weight loss, provide key information to be shared with patients if they choose to begin pharmacologic treatment, as well as what the latest data indicates with the efficacy of this treatment.