Long-Term Health Care Utilization Costs of GLP-1RA Use vs Bariatric Metabolic Surgery

How do short- and long-term health care utilization costs compare between patients treated with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and those who underwent bariatric metabolic surgery (BMS)?In this cohort study of 5442 adults with obesity and diabetes, patients treated with GLP-1RAs had higher long-term health care utilization costs than those who underwent BMS. The difference in overall costs was statistically significant and was associated primarily with higher hospitalization and non–GLP-1RA medication costs.This study suggests that BMS may offer a greater advantage in health care utilization costs than GLP-1RAs, likely due to its early weight-loss trajectory.

Corresponding Author: Yael Wolff Sagy, PhD, Branch of Planning and Strategy, Clalit Health Services, Arlozorov st 101, Tel Aviv 6492324, Israel (yael.wo@gmail.com).

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