Low- and Very-Low-Calorie Diets and Medication Use in Hospitalized Patients with Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study

TL;DR

This study shows that low-calorie diets and lifestyle changes in hospitalized patients with severe obesity can reduce medication use, especially for high blood pressure.

Contribution

The study demonstrates that inpatient multidisciplinary strategies with LCD/VLCD can reduce medication burden in severe obesity.

Findings

Antihypertensive use decreased significantly from 74.4% at admission to 44.7% at 6 months.

Average weight loss was 11% at 3 months and 21.3% at 6 months.

Hypoglycemic prescriptions declined at 3 months but not at 6 months.

Abstract

Background: Obesity is a growing global health concern associated with numerous comorbidities and high medication burden. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of low- and very-low-calorie diets (LCD/VLCD), combined with intensive lifestyle changes, on comorbidities and medication use in hospitalized patients with class II and III obesity. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using medical records of patients hospitalized for 3–6 months at a specialized obesity hospital in Brazil. Prescription data for antihypertensive, hypoglycemic, and lipid-lowering drugs were compared at admission, 3, and 6 months. Descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests, and t-tests were used to compare medication use and weight change over time. Results: Among 246 patients, the proportion of those using antihypertensives decreased from 74.4% at admission to 44.7% at 6 months (p < 0.02), with significant reductions also observed at 3 months (p < 0.001). Hypoglycemic prescriptions also declined at 3 months (p = 0.01), but not significantly at 6 months. Lipid-lowering medication use showed no significant changes. Average weight loss was 11% at 3 months and 21.3% at 6 months. Conclusions: Hospitalization with LCD/VLCD and lifestyle therapy was associated with a short-term reduction in medication burden, especially antihypertensives, supporting the potential of inpatient multidisciplinary strategies for severe obesity management.