Real World Use of Anti-Obesity Medications and Weight Change in Veterans.

BACKGROUND:Anti-obesity medications (AOMs) can be initiated in conjunction with participation in the VA national behavioral weight management program, MOVE!, to help achieve clinically meaningful weight loss. OBJECTIVE:To compare weight change between Veterans who used AOM + MOVE! versus MOVE! alone and examine AOM use, duration, and characteristics associated with longer duration of use. DESIGN:Retrospective cohort study using VA electronic health records. PARTICIPANTS:Veterans with overweight or obesity who participated in MOVE! from 2008-2017. MAIN MEASURES:Weight change from baseline was estimated using marginal structural models up to 24 months after MOVE! initiation. The probability of longer duration of AOM use (≥ 180 days) was estimated via a generalized linear mixed model. RESULTS:Among MOVE! participants, 8,517 (1.6%) used an AOM within 24 months after MOVE! initiation with a median of 90 days of cumulative supply. AOM + MOVE! users achieved greater weight loss than MOVE! alone users at 6 (3.2% vs. 1.6%, p < 0.001), 12 (3.4% vs. 1.4%, p < 0.001), and 24 months (2.7% vs. 1.5%, p < 0.001), and had a greater probability of achieving ≥ 5% weight loss at 6 (38.8% vs. 26.0%, p < 0.001), 12 (43.1% vs. 28.4%, p < 0.001), and 24 months (40.4% vs. 33.3%, p < 0.001). Veterans were more likely to have ≥ 180 days of supply if they were older, exempt from medication copays, used other medications with significant weight-gain, significant weight-loss, or modest weight-loss side effects, or resided in the West North Central or Pacific regions. Veterans were less likely to have ≥ 180 days of AOM supply if they had diabetes or initiated MOVE! later in the study period. CONCLUSIONS:AOM use following MOVE! initiation was uncommon, and exposure was time-limited. AOM + MOVE! was associated with a higher probability of achieving clinically significant weight loss than MOVE! alone.