Ozempic and other anti -semaglutids have done wonders associated with pounds of pounds for many people, but the study shows that they are still not as effective as surgery when you need to lose weight – and not even close.
Researchers at New York University (NYU) compared gastrectomy sleeves and gastric shock surgery with semitide or thyzepatide. These drugs are known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists because they mimic the natural GLP-1 hormone that controls appetite.
Using health records, the team coordinated people who took one of the weight loss drugs with people who underwent bariatric surgery, depending on age, body mass index and blood sugar.
Related: Ozempic in a tablet? A clinical trial determines that oral semaglutides affect weight loss
Bottom line: Surgery group people on average 25.7 percent over two years. Total body weight and 5.3 percent in a group of medicines.
In part, it depends on patients who did not stick to their GLP-1 drugs, while surgery is permanent, but researchers also noticed smaller differences in shorter time frames-operation has always yielded the best results.
Semaglutid mimics the natural GLP-1 hormone of the body. (APROTT/ILTOCK/Getty Images Plus)
“Clinical studies show that weight loss between 15 and 21 % GLP-1S, but this study shows that weight loss in the real world is significantly lower even in patients who have active recipes all year round,” said Avery Brown, a NYU surgical resident when the results were presented in June.
“We know that 70 percent of patients may discontinue treatment within one year. GLP-1 patients may need to adjust their expectations, take more care or choose metabolism and bariatric surgery to achieve the desired results.”
It is worth noting that the study was funded by the American Society of Material Circle and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), which would be interested in promoting surgical possibilities.
Researchers are not fully rejecting semaglutides treatment, which also showed positive results in this study. When the GLP-1 recipes double from 2022 to 2023, it is very important to investigate how they are compared to prescribed surgery methods and find out which options are best for each person.
GLP-1 drugs remain much more popular than surgery, but people often do not follow them. Meanwhile, only a small percentage of people who can be subject to surgery choose this as an opportunity.
Weight loss is not the only benefit of Ozempic. Initially, the drug has been confirmed to treat type 2 diabetes as it helps lower blood sugar and studies have shown that it can also reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. In this study, the bariatric operation was associated with even better blood sugar control.
It is also important to note that the operation is also not a silver bullet. Although the procedures are safe, they are invasive, permanent and still require patients to follow a strict diet and exercise.
“In future research, we will seek to find out what healthcare providers can do to optimize GLP-1 results, find out which patients are better treated with bariatric surgery compared to GLP-1S, and determine the role of pocket expenses,” said Nyu Growsman.
The investigation was presented at the ASMBS annual meeting in 2025.
The previous version of this article was first published in 2025. June;