Virta Health’s Post

GLP-1s for weight loss remain a hot topic in healthcare. Find out physicians' insights on GLP-1 drugs in Virta's recent survey. Key findings reveal 94% strongly agree on lifestyle programs as first-line therapy for obesity and 83% highlight patient education gaps on GLP-1s for weight loss. Check out the full report on FierceHealthcare: https://lnkd.in/g_k79hK6

A recent study conducted by BCBS of patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight loss found that over 50% stopped taking them within the first 12 weeks. One speculation is likely impatience with the speed of weight loss. This is not dissimilar to what is seen in most traditional weight loss programs where there is loss of motivation after a couple of months. Also, those who stayed with the therapy were more likely to be under the care of obesity experts or endocrinologists. This is notable as multiple companies now provide access to GLP-1 prescriptions such as WW (formally Weight Watchers), Noom and certain fitness companies. It is unclear how much regular monitoring and support patients receive via these channels. This underscores the need for qualified clinicians to be involved along with a strong patient education and support component for individuals taking GLP-1, along with nutritional guidance. This will help to set realistic expectations, keep side effects at bay, maintain motivation and maximize outcome. #GLP-1 #weightloss https://lnkd.in/eKxt5vkv

A new analysis of the results of the SELECT trial were published in Nature Medicine recently. The new SELECT analysis addresses the details of the weight effects of semaglutide (compared with placebo) over 208 weeks. Here are our big takeaways: - Most importantly, weight loss was sustained with continuation of semaglutide, as far out as 4 years in follow-up. - There is variation in weight loss among patients on semaglutide. Some lose no weight or even gain weight on treatment. Expert medical care is critical during obesity treatment, because non-responders to a specific drug should be identified so they don’t continue on a treatment that is not effective for them. - The best results for weight loss occur when pharmacotherapy is combined with structured lifestyle intervention. FORM specializes in physician-led, evidence-based obesity care that ensures proper utilization and clinical management of GLP-1 medications like semaglutide. Reach out to employers@formhealth.co to learn how we can help your company provide access to quality obesity care while managing financial risk. #obesitymedicine #metabolichealth #SelectTrial

Anti-obeisty medications (AOMs) have shown clinical success with weight loss, but only for those who can afford them. Great article in the current Hastings Center Report re ethical, policy and access issues to these medications. #obesity #weightloss #publichealth #medications #healthpolicy #justice "New anti-obesity medications (AOMs) have received widespread acclaim in medical journals and the media, but they also raise critical ethical, public health, and public policy concerns that have largely been ignored. AOMs are very costly, need to be taken by a patient in perpetuity (since significant rebound weight gain otherwise occurs), and threaten to shift resources and focus away from other crucial efforts at obesity treatment and prevention. Many people may feel less motivated to exercise or reduce their caloric consumption, if they assume that obesity is now medically treatable. Policy-makers may similarly come to feel that the solution to the obesity pandemic is simply to prescribe medications and that prevention efforts are far less necessary. These drugs raise concerns about justice (since AOMs will disproportionately benefit the wealthy), medicalization, and marketing. Policy-makers, clinicians, and others need to engage in multipronged educational and policy efforts to address these challenges."

Validating our claims of a superior healthcare service is just the beginning. We are committed to delivering more research that enables trust and transparency in how digital healthcare should be provided. Expect to see more research published in coming months regarding our safety, quality and effectiveness. #digitalhealth #research

"Juniper patients were twice as likely to lose 15% of their body weight." This is from a recent study published in the Journal of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism The future of obesity care is, and for the last few years has been, a patient working with a team of practitioners coordinating around a single platform. Juniper is that platform. In a world where getting into see practitioners is getting tougher and tougher, and advice on the internet is getting less and less reliable, trusted, easy to access, high touch care models will be essential to delivering outcomes for patients. Under a constant stream of lazy media coverage and bad faith attacks from vested interests about being an "Ozempic seller" the Juniper team has continued to build services to support patients on their obesity Journey. This is just the beginning, and our platform has improved orders of magnitude since this data was collected. Years from now the debate over whether care can be delivered safely online will be looked back on as ridiculous and something that did significant harm to patients. We already see that future forming in other markets, in the UK, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Juniper along with 6 other technologies to be used within the NHS. At Eucalyptus we are excited to build that future, and deliver outcomes for patients in a safe and affordable way.

Juniper patients were twice as likely to lose 15% of their body weight, and in less time, when compared to clinical trials for the same medication. This is clear evidence of the beginnings of the fulfilment of the Juniper mission. Where a multi-disciplinary, high-touch, digital care model can help patients achieve better outcomes than medication alone or infrequent in-person care. This milestone moment is clear evidence against the damaging narrative around online obesity clinics that often focus only on online prescribing and not the range of services that have made a difference to hundreds of thousands of lives. This is just the beginning for Eucalyptus, and we have a robust research pipeline for 2024 to continue to prove the role of high-touch digital clinics in overcoming one of the greatest healthcare challenges of our time. Dr Louis Talay and Dr Omar Alvi’s peer-reviewed study comparing Juniper’s superior weight loss outcomes to two major international clinical trials was published in the Journal of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. You can read a breakdown of the research here: https://lnkd.in/gs3cSWZX

Check out this insightful MedPage Today article by obesity specialist Fatima Cody Stanford and our Chief Medical Officer Richard Frank, MD, MHSA on navigating patient care when they plateau on GLP-1s, a common challenge in obesity treatment. While plateaus are an expected part of the journey with GLP-1s, learn how to navigate those challenges with proactive strategies and comprehensive approaches to ensure progress and patient feelings of success. #ObesityCare #GLP1 #HealthcareInnovation #obesity

Your body already has a built-in weight loss system that works like Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro – food and your gut microbiome https://lnkd.in/gYqPXuUd Weight loss pills aren’t a replacement for a healthy diet and lifestyle. Semaglutide, the active ingredient in the injectable diabetes drug Ozempic and its weight-loss sister prescription Wegovy, seems to have yet another unfortunate side effect: putting back on the weight, and then some, when patients stop taking it. https://lnkd.in/g9mVgCPJ

NEW BLOG: Private prescribing for obesity drugs is on the rise - What do we need to be aware of? Dr Stephianie De Giorgio has seen a huge increase in the number of patients accessing weight loss medication privately and discusses what we need to know and what side effects or concerns we might need to have. Read her blog here: https://buff.ly/4chHeN8 #Obesity #PrivatePrescribing #PrimaryCare