Some doctors are finding success treating obesity first with a pill. They report that other illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis, often improve as well.

Lesa Walton from Wenatchee, Washington struggled with rheumatoid arthritis for years. Even though she followed her’s diet and exercise advice, her condition didn’t improve. But after starting on Wegovy, a new obesity drug prescribed by Dr. Stefie Deeds in Seattle, she lost over 50 pounds and no longer needed blood pressure pills. Her arthritis also improved significantly.

Dr. Deeds believes that controlling obesity can often lead to improvements in other medical conditions simultaneously.

Doubt and Responsibility

But not everyone agrees. Some people feel uncomfortable when doctors bring up their weight issues. While the new obesity medicines appear to offer additional benefits like reducing inflammation, they are costly. Their full impacts also still need scientific validation.

According to Dr. Gordon Guyatt from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, it might be more prudent to rely on cheaper generic drugs to deal with the health conditions associated with obesity.

However, many doctors acknowledge the beneficial effects of these drugs extending beyond just weight loss based on cases similar to Walton’s experience.

Updates in Medical Practice

Treating obesity first is not the standard approach currently adopted by medicine practitioners, who usually prescribe individual treatments for each health issue like high blood pressure or sleep apnea while recommending dietary changes and exercises – most of which do not result in significant weight loss. With the help of powerful medications like Wegovy from Novo Nordisk or Zepbound from Eli Lilly incorporated into a balanced diet and exercise regimen, doctors are looking at improving related health conditions along with treating obesity.

Advantages Beyond Losing Weight

Dr. Caroline M. Apovian from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston argues that the weight loss achieved with these drugs can also address an array of health issues like high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. Patients appreciate this approach as they only need one medication instead of many, and it helps them shed off the extra weight which they found difficult to lose despite years of trying.

Experts also point out that patients are more inclined to keep using obesity drugs whereas many give up on other necessary medications like statins.

Call for Indepth Studies

Positive personal experiences need substantiation through rigorous research to validate the hypothesis that other medical conditions improve when obesity is treated with specific drugs. Largescale clinical trials with randomized assignments to treatment or placebo groups are necessary to confirm if these medicines can indeed address multiple diseases. However, these obesity treatment drugs seem promising given their apparent effects on brain and body signaling systems beyond reducing appetite, as observed by Dr. Susan Z. Yanovski from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Unforeseen Benefits

A study conducted by Novo Nordisk showed Wegovy improving kidney functions in patients with heart disease, regardless of weight loss. Another drug named Ozempic exhibited similar effects on kidney function in diabetic patients with kidney disease irrespective of their initial body weight. According to Dr. Daniel Drucker, an obesity researcher at Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, there are clear indications showing the drug’s anti-inflammatory effects prior to any noticeable weight loss.

Future Possibilities

Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are conducting various trials hoping to make their respective drugs even more effective for weight loss. Additionally, Wegovy has shown potential in improving physical abilities in patients with diabetes and heart failure, while Zepbound has aided those with sleep apnea. Continuous trials are probing the effectiveness of these medicines in treating depression, addiction, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease among others.

Building Trust

While some doctors may be keen to experiment with these drugs beyond their approved uses, others prefer a cautious approach. For instance, Dr. Scott Hagan from Seattle usually treats obesity related conditions first and only brings up the topic of obesity drugs later if required. He stresses on building trust with patients who have had negative experiences interacting with doctors regarding their weight previously. Weight loss can possibly make several chronic illnesses better. But we need to do careful research to prove these advantages are real. For now, doctors should be careful about new approaches and make sure they keep their patients’ trust.