Hormonal
GLP-1 agonist pharmacotherapy for obesity in women may not be economically justified by healthcare cost savings alone, as the high lifetime cost of obesity is largely driven by reduced life expectancy rather than increased annual healthcare utilization.
For women with obesity, using GLP-1 medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide is a significant financial investment. Current economic models suggest that simply saving on annual medical bills for obesity-related conditions may not cover the drug costs. However, if the treatment successfully extends life expectancy by even 50% of the years lost to obesity, the long-term value to the healthcare system and the patient's quality of life can justify the expense.
In the case of women with obesity, the direct estimated lifetime HCRU gains, as reported above, may not justify investment in weight-reducing pharmacotherapy. However, if 50% of life years lost could be avoided and a value of £30 000 associated with each life year gained, then the additional benefits for BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 could be around £40 000/person...
Why this rating
The study is a modeling exercise based on published data, not a primary clinical trial, introducing assumptions about cost valuations and life-year trade-offs.
Source
The lifetime healthcare costs of female obesity: modeling of England data and the costs of current pharmacotherapy
Adrian Heald et al. · Cardiovascular Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2024
DOI 10.1097/xce.0000000000000310
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