Some Parents Asking for GLP-1 Agonists
Pediatric obesity specialists said more parents are asking if a GLP-1 agonist might be appropriate for their children this year than in 2022.
Dr. Sweeney said parents ask for the medications when they feel they have exhausted all other options for their children. “These parents are not coming because they are concerned about the cosmetic effects of the weight,” she said. In most cases, children she sees have been struggling for years with extreme hunger and lack of satiety and may have prediabetes or diabetes. Many are being bullied in school because of their weight. They have only marginally been helped by interventions suggested by primary care or dietitians or other specialists, Dr. Sweeney said.
“Starting semaglutide really is life-changing for some of these patients,” Dr. Vaidya said. One patient said, “it just stopped the food chatter,” she added, noting that the adolescent no longer felt ruled by cravings.
In a recent poll by Morning Consult, 65% of parents of children with weight-related issues said they would be interested in GLP-1 agonists for their kids. A third of all parents said they would be interested in having their children use the drugs if they were available.
Lifelong Medication?
Parents — and adolescents — are generally counseled that obesity is a chronic disease and GLP-1 agonists are likely a lifelong treatment.
With the medications, “our first step is to get induction of weight loss and get your set point decreased enough that we can get you to a healthier weight for your body,” Dr. Sweeney said.
She tells patients and families, “I can’t tell you that you’re necessarily going to be on this medication at this dose for the rest of your life, but you will need treatment for life.”
Based on current knowledge, the risks for lifelong obesity outweigh the risk for the medications. Dr. Sweeney said she would like to see more data. “There absolutely is an evidence gap, and we need more information on the long-term effectiveness and safety.”
“When we start kids on this medication, I’m very clear that we are going to try to get to the lowest effective dose,” Dr. Vaidya said. She also emphasizes to parents that the medications must be used in conjunction with continued lifestyle modifications. She expressed hope that as clinicians gain more experience, and patients’ comorbidities resolve, perhaps it will be possible in some cases to take individuals “off for a period of time, with the understanding that they might have to go back on in a few months.”
“We’re weighing the pros and cons of being on a medication long term but we’re also weighing the pros and cons of weight-related health complications long term,” Dr. Raatz said.
Dr. Raatz also said clinicians have much to learn about the long-term safety of GLP-1 agonists in their pediatric patients.
She tells parents and families, “we expect that this is going to be a long-term medication, and this is going to be something that we’re going to continue to monitor.”
Dr. Sweeney reports that she is a speaker and unpaid consultant on Rhythm Pharmaceuticals’ Imcivree (setmelanotide) medication and that she consults for Eli Lilly. Dr. Raatz is a coprincipal investigator for a Novo Nordisk trial of semaglutide in young children and will be a co-PI for a similar trial for Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide but receives no consulting fees or honoraria. Dr. Vaidya reported no conflicts.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.