The Impact of Approved Anti-Obesity Medications on the Incidence of Osteoarthritis, Healthcare Resource Use and Costs Among Patients With Obesity: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Author(s)
Baser O1, Mohamed M2, Samayoa G2, Baser E2
1City University of New York, New York, NY, USA, 2Columbia Data Analytics, New York, NY, USA
OBJECTIVES: Obesity, affecting over 42% of US adults, is a major risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA), contributing to increased healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs. Direct medical costs associated with obesity are estimated at $147 billion annually, largely attributable to OA management. This study analyzed the impact of anti-obesity medications (AOMs) on OA incidence, HCRU, and cost among US patients with obesity.
METHODS: Utilizing Kythera data, we conducted a retrospective cohort study from November 2022 to June 2024. Patients with obesity and AOM use were identified based on diagnosis claims and prescription claim(s) for Zepbound or Wegovy (identification period: 11/1/2023-12/31/2023) with 6 months follow-up to measure OA incidence, HCRU, and cost. Patients with pre-existing OA and prior AOM use were excluded. Multivariable analyses adjusted for comorbidities and sociodemographic factors were employed to assess the incidence of OA, HCRU, and cost, with additional analyses comparing outcomes between Zepbound and Wegovy users.
RESULTS: We identified 21,819 patients using AOMs (Wegovy: 19,087; Zepbound: 2,732) and 85,798 patients who did not. AOM users had a significantly lower incidence of OA (2.99%) than non-AOM users (14.43%, p<0.0001). AOM users had lower hospital admission rates (1.80% vs 7.21%, p<0.0001), shorter length of stay (0.14 days vs 1.47 days, p<0.0001), and lower emergency department (ED) visit (6.47% vs 13.67%, p<0.0001) and outpatient visit rates (79.65% vs 81.95%, p<0.0001). Total health expenditures were also lower for AOM users ($8,022.87 vs $10,307.40, p<0.0001). Zepbound users had a lower incidence of OA (2.42% vs 3.08%, p=0.0584) and demonstrated lower ED visit (3.88% vs 6.84%, p<0.0001), and outpatient visit rates (76.65% vs 80.08%, p<0.0001) than Wegovy users. Zepbound users also showed lower total health expenditures ($7,361.91 vs $8,117.47, p<0.0001) than Wegovy users.
CONCLUSIONS: AOM use is associated with lower OA incidence, reduced HCRU, and lower healthcare expenditures.
Conference/Value in Health Info
Value in Health, Volume 27, Issue 12, S2 (December 2024)
Code
CO98
Topic
Economic Evaluation
Disease
Diabetes/Endocrine/Metabolic Disorders (including obesity), Musculoskeletal Disorders (Arthritis, Bone Disorders, Osteoporosis, Other Musculoskeletal)