JAMA

Obesity medications: Access not equal for all

May 1, 2025

Study details: Researchers used the nationwide Epic Cosmos Dataset, encompassing 277 million patient records from over 280 U.S. healthcare systems, to examine prescribing patterns of semaglutide and tirzepatide for obesity. The study included adults with a BMI ≥30, or BMI ≥27 and ≥1 obesity-related comorbidity, from 2020 to 2024. Patients with T2DM were excluded.

Results: Among 39,060,622 eligible adults, 887,110 (2.3%) received prescriptions for semaglutide or tirzepatide. Patients prescribed these medications were younger, with a mean age of 47.3 years compared with 51.9 years for non-prescribed patients. They also had higher BMIs, averaging 39.0 versus 34.2. Prescription likelihood varied significantly by subgroup: males, Hispanic, non-Hispanic Asian, and non-Hispanic Black patients were less likely to receive prescriptions compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Additionally, patients in the most socially vulnerable quartile and those residing in rural areas were less likely to receive prescriptions.

Clinical impact: Significant disparities exist in the prescribing of semaglutide and tirzepatide for obesity, with underutilization among certain demographic groups. Strategies to promote equitable access to these effective obesity treatments are needed.

Source:

Kim C, et al. (2025, April 29). JAMA. Uptake of and Disparities in Semaglutide and Tirzepatide Prescribing for Obesity in the US. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40299371/