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N.D. (Valley News Live) – North Dakota State University and Sanford Health are launching a new study to examine the real-world impact of popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy
Use of GLP-1 medications has surged nationwide, with an estimated 1 in 8 Americans now taking one of the drugs for diabetes or obesity management
“When they first came out and developed an indication for obesity they were approximately $1,600 a month,” said Kristine Steffen, associate dean for research and faculty development at NDSU. “Now we’re seeing programs like Medicare being able to pick up the cost and other programs allowing these to become more affordable for more people.”
Steffen and her team at NDSU are partnering with Sanford Health on the study, which will look beyond simple weight loss to assess how the medications affect patients’ overall health and daily lives
“We are casting a bit of a broad net in this study,” said Scott Engel, vice president of biobehavioral research at Sanford Research in Fargo. “Obviously with GLP-1s we are interested in weight and body composition, but it’s broader than that. We are interested in quality of life, emotional state, muscle wasting.”
Engel said participants will enter the study around the time they start a GLP-1 medication. They will be seen at Sanford Sioux Falls, Sanford Fargo and a local pharmacy operated by NDSU pharmacy students. Participants will complete assessments at the start of treatment, then again at three months and six months
“There’s no silver bullet that’s a perfect fix for anything. I think this is as close as we’ve come,” Engel said. “They are new enough and we don’t know enough about long-term outcome and complications to speak in a super informed way, but we are learning more over time.”
Engel and Steffen have long studied bariatric surgery, which has been considered the most effective weight-loss option for many years. Their previous research has found that about 1 in 5 patients develop issues with alcohol or other substances after surgery
“With these drugs so far, what we’re seeing so far hints at — in the literature — they actually may be protective,” Steffen said. “We don’t know the full story on that yet, nor do we know any of the mechanisms through which they may be protective if they end up being long term.”
Roughly 37% of people in North Dakota and South Dakota meet the criteria for obesity, according to the researchers. They say anyone considering a weight-loss drug should talk with their physician about whether the potential benefits outweigh the risks
Enrollment in the study is expected to open in late July. Researchers hope early results will help them secure additional grant funding and expand to larger projects aimed at improving care for patients across the region
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