Anti-obesity medications like GLP-1s have the potential to significantly reduce mortality in countries across the globe, according to a new report
By 2045, anti-obesity medications like GLP-1s could reduce mortality in the U.S. by 3.5%, 2.0% in the UK, 2.6% in Canada and 1.4% in Hong Kong. In the most optimistic of cases, it could reduce deaths by nearly 9% in America.
That’s according to global life and health reinsurer, Reinsurance Group of America (RGA), which has quantified the mortality and morbidity impacts of drugs like GLP-1s.
To create the report, the group examined data from the U.S., UK, Canada and Hong Kong markets to assess how widespread adoption of AOMs could affect population health outcomes over the next two decades.
RGA created the models using three key groups of assumptions: effectiveness, uptake and relative risk of mortality and morbidity.
In addition to the central scenario, the team calculated optimistic and pessimistic scenarios, in which U.S. mortality dropped by 8.8% or 1.0%.
Notably, the 45 to 49 age group saw the biggest reduction in mortality, and ages 85 and above saw the lowest.
“We believe that anti-obesity medications will have a meaningful benefit on general population-level mortality,” said RGA president and CEO Tony Cheng. “This will differ by geography, largely reflecting the obesity profiles of different markets, and by age, sex, and access to medicines.”
RGA also pointed out that insured groups were likely to see somewhat lower mortality and morbidity reductions than the general population, due to a lower average BMI.
The findings follow the Health & Fitness Association’s recent praise for the Trump Administration’s move to expand Medicare coverage for GLP-1s.
And the obesity crisis in America may be much worse than the public thinks, even as the CDC reports dropping rates in 19 states. A recent study found up to 70% of Americans could be considered obese — up from the previous 40% — with a new definition of the disease.
