PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, more than 136 million adults are eligible for semaglutide therapy, the glucagon-like-peptide-1 receptor agonists.
Certain members of this group of drugs are approved for weight loss, while others are approved to fight diabetes and other chronic health issues associated with high blood sugar.
The most widely prescribed drugs in America right now are the statins used by 82 million to help control cholesterol. Semaglutide medications have a long way to go to reach that number.
A present barrier is the expense, but a growing number of studies are recognizing long-term health benefits, which should help increase the supply as well as financial support from government programs and private insurance.
Get more medical reports from Dr. Brian McDonough.
KYW Newsradio's Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.
