Prevalence of complications and co‐morbidities in males and females with obesity: Real‐world insights from claims data analysis

Aim To comprehensively examine the range of co‐morbidities among males and females with a diagnosis of obesity. Materials and Methods This cross‐sectional retrospective study used US commercial and Medicare claims data from Merative MarketScan Research Databases to identify adults (age ≥ 18 years) with a diagnosis of obesity with continuous insurance coverage from 2018 to 2020. Co‐morbidities were tabulated based on coded diagnoses, and prevalences were calculated in males and females across age groups. Age‐adjusted odds ratios (ORs) determined differences in co‐morbidities between the sexes. Results Of an eligible sample of 6.9 million, we identified 2 028 273 individuals with at least one obesity‐related International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification code. The proportions of males and females with obesity were 43.0% versus 57.0%. The most prevalent co‐morbidities among males and females were hypertension (62.8% vs. 52.2%), dyslipidaemia (63.3% vs. 50.3%) and depression and/or anxiety (D/A; 29.7% vs. 48.5%). The prevalence of D/A was high in the younger age group, but steadily decreased with age in both sexes; however, hypertension and dyslipidaemia continued to increase with age. The presence of diagnosis of hypertension and dyslipidaemia was 6‐8 years earlier in males than in females. Females had higher odds than males for osteoarthritis (OR 1.33), depression (OR 2.22) or osteoporosis (OR 7.10); all P < .0001. Conclusions Males with obesity received a diagnosis of cardiovascular risk factors at an earlier age than females, which may have contributed to the higher prevalence of coronary heart disease. Understanding sex‐specific variations in co‐morbidities across ages can support early screening and diagnosis of risk clusters for optimal obesity management.