Oyama Rie, Okuhara Tsuyoshi, Furukawa Emi, Okada Hiroko, Kiuchi Takahiro
Department of Health Communication, School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
University Hospital Medical Information Network, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
JMIR Form Res. 2025 Jan 1;9:e68792. doi: 10.2196/68792.
Misuse of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) has emerged globally as individuals increasingly use these drugs for weight loss because of unrealistic and attractive body images advertised and shared on the internet.
This study assesses the quality of information and compliance with Japan's medical advertising guidelines on the websites of medical institutions that prescribe GLP-1RAs off-label for weight loss.
Websites were identified by searching Google and Yahoo! by using keywords related to GLP-1RAs and weight loss in August 2024. The quality of information on these websites was assessed using the DISCERN instrument. To comply with Japan's medical advertising guidelines, we evaluated whether the 5 mandatory items for advertisements of self-paid medical treatments involving the off-label use of drugs were stated and whether there were any exaggerated claims. The content of the exaggerated advertisements was categorized into themes.
Of the 87 websites included, only 1 website stated all 5 mandatory items. Websites listing "ineligible for the relief system for sufferers from adverse drug reactions" had the lowest percentage at 9% (8/87), while 83% (72/87) of the websites listed exaggerated advertisements. Approximately 69% (60/87) of the websites suggested that no exercise or dietary therapy was required, 24% (21/87) suggested that using GLP-1RAs is a natural and healthy method, and 31% (27/87) of the websites provided the author's personal opinions on the risks of using GLP-1RAs. The mean total DISCERN score for all 87 websites was 32.6 (SD 5.5), indicating low quality. Only 1 website achieved a good rating, and 9 websites were rated as fair. The majority of the websites were rated as poor (72 websites) or very poor (5 websites).
We found that the quality of information provided by the websites of medical institutions prescribing GLP-1RAs off-label for weight loss was very low and that many websites violated Japan's medical advertising guidelines. The prevalence of exaggerated advertisements, which may lead consumers to believe that they can lose weight without dietary or exercise therapy, suggests the risk of GLP-1RA misuse among consumers. Public institutions and health care providers should monitor and regulate advertisements that violate guidelines and provide accurate information regarding GLP-1RAs, obesity, and weight loss.
由于互联网上宣传和分享的不切实际且诱人的身体形象，全球范围内越来越多人将胰高血糖素样肽-1受体激动剂（GLP-1RAs）用于减肥，导致该药物的滥用现象日益凸显。
本研究评估了为减肥而超适应症开具GLP-1RAs的医疗机构网站上的信息质量以及是否符合日本医疗广告指南。
2024年8月，通过在谷歌和雅虎上使用与GLP-1RAs和减肥相关的关键词来识别网站。使用DISCERN工具评估这些网站上的信息质量。为符合日本医疗广告指南，我们评估了涉及药物超适应症使用的自费医疗治疗广告的5项强制性条款是否列出，以及是否存在任何夸大宣传。对夸大广告的内容进行主题分类。
在纳入的87个网站中，只有1个网站列出了所有5项强制性条款。列出“不符合药物不良反应患者救助系统资格”的网站比例最低，为9%（8/87），而83%（72/87）的网站存在夸大广告。约69%（60/87）的网站表明无需运动或饮食疗法，24%（21/87）的网站表明使用GLP-1RAs是一种自然且健康的方法，31%（27/87）的网站提供了作者对使用GLP-1RAs风险的个人观点。所有87个网站的DISCERN总分平均为32.6（标准差5.5），表明质量较低。只有1个网站获得了良好评级，9个网站被评为中等。大多数网站被评为差（72个网站）或非常差（5个网站）。
我们发现，为减肥而超适应症开具GLP-1RAs的医疗机构网站提供的信息质量非常低，许多网站违反了日本医疗广告指南。夸大广告的盛行可能会使消费者认为无需饮食或运动疗法就能减肥，这表明消费者存在滥用GLP-1RAs的风险。公共机构和医疗保健提供者应监测和规范违反指南的广告，并提供有关GLP-1RAs、肥胖和减肥的准确信息。
