More drugs must be made available against extreme obesity. At the moment, too many people have no options right now, according to obesity doctors. Other diseases such as diabetes or heart problems will also decrease significantly if obese people lose weight, doctors tell the AD.
Last month, a first drug for the treatment of obesity was approved by the National Health Care Institute. Serious overweight occurs in 14 percent of the Dutch population. The new drug Saxenda should ensure that the feeling of hunger is reduced.
Bmi from 40, or from 35 with an underlying disease
Saxenda is only reimbursed for a small part from the basic insurance. You must have a BMI of 40 or higher or a BMI of 35; with an underlying disease such as osteoarthritis or heart disease. It is mandatory to follow a program to work on a healthy lifestyle. A healthy person has a BMI between 18 and 25.
According to medical director Ignace Janssen, there is enough reason to offer Saxenda from a BMI of 27. Now the annual costs of 2600 euros have to be paid out of your own pocket. ‘Patients have to change their lifestyle. That is not easy if you are constantly hungry. This becomes easier with this medicine.’
Few people can afford it
According to Liesbeth van Rossum, internist-edocrinologist and professor of obesity at Erasmus MC, many people are left out because of the high costs. ‘Overweight leads to more than two hundred other diseases. It’s better to tackle the source.’
Mireille Serlie, professor and internist-endocrinologist at the Amsterdam UMC, believes that the costs are indeed high if a large group receives the drug, but as a doctor she would like to have more options for treatment. ‘As you gain weight, the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease increases. It is necessary that effective medication is available to lose weight and further inhibit weight gain.’
Hundreds of thousands of people are overweight
The group that is now eligible for Saxenda consists of approximately 650 people per year, says Maurits de Brauw, bariatric surgeon at the Spaarne Gasthuis. Hundreds of thousands of people are overweight, and ‘that doesn’t help at all’.
Currently, two other drugs for overweight have to be assessed by the National Health Care Institute.
Bron: AD
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