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Current Clinical Pharmacology

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1574-8847
ISSN (Online): 2212-3938

Reductions in Medications with Substantial Weight Loss with Behavioral Intervention

Author(s): James W. Anderson and Manan A. Jhaveri

Volume 5, Issue 4, 2010

Page: [232 - 238] Pages: 7

DOI: 10.2174/157488410793352030

Price: $65

Abstract

Medical costs of obesity in the United States exceed $147 billion annually with medication costs making a sizable contribution. We examined medication costs associated with substantial weight losses in an intensive behavioral weight loss program. Inclusion criteria were medication use for obesity co-morbidities: hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, degenerative joint disease, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Group A, 83 obese patients on medications completed 8 weeks of classes, lost 19 kg in 20 weeks. Group B, 100 severely obese patients, lost 59 kg in 45 weeks. Medications were discontinued: Group A, 18a7percnt;; Group B, 64%. Mean numbers of medications decreased significantly for all co-morbidities. Mean numbers of daily medications, initial and final, respectively were: Group A, total, 3.0 ± 0.2 (mean ± SEM) and 1.7 ± 0.2; Group B, total, 2.5 ± 0.2 and 0.7 ± 0.1. Monthly costs for all medications decreased significantly for all co-morbidities and were as follows: Group A, total, $249 ± 25 and $153 ± 19; Group B: total, 237 ± 27 and $65 12. Medically supervised weight loss is very effective approach for improving cardiovascular risk factors and reducing medical costs.

Keywords: Behavioral, co-morbidities, cost, medication, obesity, weight loss.

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