First-of-Its-Kind Research Demonstrates Significant Increase in Weight Loss When Medication Is Precisely Incorporated into Management Programs

SAN MATEO, Calif., Aug. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Enara Health, a technology-powered personalized weight loss program focused on sustainable results, today announced the publication of new research demonstrating dramatically higher weight loss in individuals who incorporate anti-obesity medication into their weight loss management programs at an early stage. Published in Obesity Science & Practice, the new study, "Impact of Anti‐Obesity Medication Initiation and Duration on Weight Loss in a Comprehensive Weight Loss Programme," is the first of its kind to explore the real world practice of precision medicine in obesity management with respect to the initiation and duration of weight loss medication.

In the study, Enara Health retrospectively analyzed data for 129 adults who participated in a comprehensive clinical weight loss program, with the aim of assessing the overall impact of weight loss medication. The study also examined whether differences in the timing of initiation and duration of weight loss medication influenced changes in weight loss. According to the findings, the addition of weight loss medication to lifestyle modifications by patients increased the mean percentage reduction in weight at 18 months from 10.8% in non-users to 14.2% in users. In addition, 45.1% of weight loss medication users in the study achieved more than 15% weight loss, versus only 19% of non-users. Importantly, reduction in body weight was significantly higher for patients who initiated weight loss medication at the onset of behavioral modification versus those who started weight loss medication after two months, demonstrating that early initiation can provide further benefits in precision weight loss management.

"With escalating obesity rates, identifying effective weight loss strategies is becoming increasingly critical. Anti-obesity medication is traditionally considered for patients failing to achieve 5% weight loss via dietary, exercise and behavioral changes," said Dr. Rami Bailony, Co-Founder and CEO of Enara Health. "However, this research demonstrates that earlier initiation of medication may play a significant role in outcomes."

The study found that nearly three-quarters (72%) of the individuals who started a weight loss medication at the beginning of their programs attained and sustained more than 15% body weight loss at 18 months. "If we can get three-quarters of individuals to 15% weight loss and scale that across the country, we would dramatically reduce chronic disease and health care expenditure," Dr. Bailony added.

The study's findings further support the growing trend toward precision medicine, which calls for the use of deep data to personalize medical therapies. The results also highlight the potential for digital health to drive superior outcomes, given that weight loss for both the non-medication and medication groups exceeded industry standards in the study. In the context of obesity, the timing and duration of medication against the backdrop of social, behavioral, nutritional and environmental factors become additional precision elements. Enara Health, via its data-driven platform, is helping to explore the complicated interplay of multiple lifestyle modifications, as well as the use of medication, when it comes to effectively and sustainably treating obesity.

"It is really good to see studies emerging from the 'real world' around weight management," said Donna H. Ryan, MD, Professor Emeritus at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. "Anti-obesity medications were used in a pragmatic and personalized fashion, similar to the recommendations of obesity specialists. For those who elected medications, starting early seemed to produce more weight loss.

"The importance of studies like this one is that they demonstrate that in a real-world setting, weight loss is possible with good behavioral techniques and that adding medications can augment the amount of weight loss," Dr. Ryan added. "For patients with more severe complications of obesity, 15% weight loss can bring great health benefits."

For more details on the research findings, read the entire published study in Obesity Science & Practice here.

About Enara Health
Enara Health is building a data-driven platform and network to scale obesity treatment. Based in San Mateo, Calif., and operating since March 2015, Enara Health offers unique hybrid digital and in-person weight loss programs based on precision medicine. By combining mobile technology with health care visits and providing patients with personalized physician-driven medical weight loss programs, Enara Health routinely helps patients lose—and keep off—more than 15% of their baseline weight, which is far greater than the results seen with other e-health and m-health interventions. Learn more at http://www.enarahealth.com.

SOURCE Enara Health