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The World Health Organization (WHO) has released the first guidelines on the global use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs to “treat obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease”.
In a blog post published on December 1, WHO said obesity continues to plague people worldwide and the disease is expected to cause 3.7 million deaths by 2024. The health body has warned that without decisive action, this figure could double by 2030.
GLP-1 therapies were added to the WHO’s List of Essential Medicines for the management of type 2 diabetes in high-risk groups. Now the new guidelines have recommended the use of such medicines to overcome the ‘serious health challenge’ of obesity. However, the blog post emphasizes that such medications are part of a comprehensive approach and may not work on their own.
WHO also recommends a healthy diet, regular physical activity and consultation with health professionals.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said in relation to obesity, “Obesity is a major global health challenge, which WHO is committed to addressing by supporting countries and people around the world to control it effectively and equitably. Our new guidance recognizes that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care.”
Two main recommendations of WHO
WHO has issued two major recommendations regarding GLP-1 medicines:
1. GLP-1 drugs can be used by adults, except pregnant women, for long-term obesity treatment. However, this recommendation is on a conditional basis, as data on long-term side effects of these drugs is limited. There are also issues with maintenance of treatment, the cost of these treatments as well as the lack of preparedness of health systems.
2. Adults living with obesity and prescribed GLP-1 treatment may also be offered intensive behavioral interventions including healthy diet and physical activity. Low-certainty evidence suggests that these interventions may enhance the outcomes of this treatment.
Australian regulator issues mental health warning
The Australian drugs regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), has issued a warning for people taking GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs such as Ozempic, Vegovy, Saxenda, Trulicity and Monzaro.
The warning says these pose a risk to mental health, and it advises doctors to monitor patients for the emergence or worsening of depression, suicidal thoughts or behaviors, and/or any unusual changes in mood or behavior. Guardian,
Dozens of reports warned of suicidal behavior and ideation, but researchers have found no clear evidence to prove a causal relationship.
In addition, the Moujnaro label now comes with a warning that the effectiveness of oral contraceptives may possibly be reduced in women who use this drug.
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