Reinitiating obesity meds after bariatric surgery tied to greater one-year weight loss in youths
Restarting obesity medications, including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, soon after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is associated with greater one-year weight loss than surgery alone in adolescents, according to a research letter published online July 22 in JAMA Surgery.
A study published in JAMA Surgery reveals that restarting obesity medications, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, shortly after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) in adolescents leads to greater one-year weight loss compared to surgery alone. Researchers led by Dr. Alaina P. Vidmar from Children's Hospital Los Angeles analyzed 99 youths aged 7-20 who underwent SG between November 2023 and February 2026.
Among these patients, 53 reinitiated obesity medications, with a median time to reinitiation of one month. Both groups experienced similar early postoperative weight loss through six months, but the early reinitiation group achieved greater BMI percentage reduction (−29.3% vs −25.5%) and excess BMI loss (−53.6% vs −45.7%) at 12 months.
Improvements in eating behaviors were also greater in the early reinitiation group at 12 months compared to the SG-only group. There were no significant differences in postoperative complications between the two groups. Vidmar emphasized the need for a multimodal approach combining medication and surgery in the long-term management of severe obesity in youth.
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