Give obese patients Ozempic before surgery, doctors say, after research shows it reduces complications

Weight loss shots can ensure that obese patients have fewer complications after surgery, research shows.

Injections such as Ozempic and Wegovy, praised by the likes of Elon Musk and Jeremy Clarkson, have been proven to help overweight people lose up to two stone.

According to experts, combining the treatments could be the most effective way to quickly shed the pounds before surgery.

The US scientists said obese people who may be considered too high risk for bariatric (weight loss) surgery could be candidates after taking the drugs.

Research shows that obese patients – with a body mass index (BMI) score of 30 or more – are more likely to develop surgical and anesthesia complications.

In these individuals, who lose between five and 10 percent of their weight, this could reduce some of the risks, NHS sources claim.

Dr. Phil Schauer, co-author of the study and director of the Metamor Metabolic Institute at Pennington Biomedical in Louisiana said: ‘Combining anti-obesity medications can produce much greater weight loss before surgery than other methods for people with extreme obesity.

“Many patients who would otherwise be considered ‘too sick for surgery’ may now be eligible.”

According to the study, presented today at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting, 113 people with a BMI over 70 tried to lose weight prior to metabolic and bariatric surgery.

Researchers did not reveal the average age or gender of participants or lifestyle factors such as smoking history and diet.

One group received a combination of weight loss injections, while another group was offered a single treatment.

The third group received a diet and exercise plan under medical supervision.

After an average of 73 days of follow-up, scientists found that participants taking multiple medications saw the greatest percentage of total body weight loss (13.1 percent).

This was followed by those who received a single weight loss shot (8.14 percent).

By comparison, volunteers who followed the diet and exercise plan saw a 5.95 percent reduction.

The scientists also claimed that BMI reductions six to 12 months later were highest among those treated with a combination of treatments.

Obesity itself increases the chance that a person will suffer from serious health problems that can damage the heart, such as high blood pressure, as well as cancer.

Around two in three adults in Britain are obese or overweight, giving the country one of the highest obesity rates in Europe.

Last month, a sobering report also suggested that rising obesity rates in Britain have led to a staggering 39 percent rise in type 2 diabetes among people under 40, with 168,000 Britons now living with the disease.

Gaining pounds has also been linked to at least thirteen types of cancer and is the second biggest cause of the disease in Britain, according to Cancer Research UK.

However, experts today warned that more research is needed before weight loss shots are recommended for obese patients prior to surgery.

Dr. Marina Kurian, president of the ASMBS, who was not involved in the study, said: ‘More studies are needed to determine the optimal role of GLP-1s before and after metabolic and bariatric surgery in different patient groups.

‘Obesity should be viewed like other chronic diseases that sometimes require more than one therapy over time and for different reasons.’

Semaglutide – sold as Ozempic and Wegovy – and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) are being hailed as a monumental breakthrough in the war on obesity.

The pens, taken once a day, mimic a hormone called GLP-1 and trick the brain and body into thinking they are full, curbing appetite.

Research shows that semaglutide, manufactured by the Danish company Novo Nordisk, helps users lose an average of up to 15.3 kg in about a year.

Side effects of the jabs, including bloating, nausea and acid reflux, have long been noted by the government’s drugs watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

More and more Ozempic users on social media have also complained of being left with gaunt facial features, sagging ‘melted candle’ skin, ’empty’ breasts and hair loss – which are not believed to be a direct side effect of the medication, but a as a result of dramatic weight loss.

Analysis shows the cost of tackling the knock-on effects of the jabs on the NHS could be more than £100 million a year.

Others, meanwhile, have warned of bad breath and even sexual dysfunction.

The latest NHS data shows that 26 percent of adults in England are obese and a further 38 percent are overweight but not obese.

Experts have pointed to a lack of exercise and poor diets high in ultra-processed foods as major drivers of Britain’s obesity epidemic.

Wegovy was approved by the NHS last year specifically for weight loss.

But the eligibility criteria for people wanting to get the drug on the NHS – at the standard prescription rate of £9.90 in England – is strict.

Mounjaro was got the green light from NICE for NHS use in September for patients with type 2 diabetes who cannot control the condition.

It is not yet used by the healthcare system for obesity.

But in February it was made available privately in Britain, with clinics charging around £40 for a week’s supply.