Shocking! Half of weight-loss drug users quit within a year |
The new class of anti-obesity drugs, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), has been a boon for many adults struggling with obesity. From celebrities to commoners, many sought the help of these drugs to lose weight. However, a new population-wide study has found that half of the people stopped taking the weight-loss drugs within a year.In a study presented at this year’s Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), Vienna, the researchers found a shocking drop in the number of weight-loss drug users in Denmark quitting the medication.
People are quitting weight loss drugs
The new research found that half of adults without diabetes who start taking the weight-loss drug semaglutide in Denmark discontinue treatment within a year.“This level of drop off is concerning because these medications aren’t meant to be a temporary quick fix. For them to work effectively, they need to be taken long-term. All of the beneficial effects on appetite control are lost if the medication is stopped,” lead author Professor Reimar W. Thomsen from the Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark, said. The drug GLP-1RAs, originally developed to treat diabetes, has been used for weight loss as it reduces appetite and increases satiety signals from the gut to the brain. But these drugs are expensive, and can potentially widen health disparities as obesity disproportionally affects marginalised racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic communities.One of the concerning effects of this drug is weight regain when discontinued. This is why many individuals would need to depend on these drugs to maintain the weight loss effects. To understand the likelihood of, and reasons for, discontinuation of semaglutide use, the researchers collected data from nationwide health registries of all adults (aged 18 or older) without diabetes who initiated treatment between the drug’s launch date in Denmark (December 1st, 2022) and October 1st, 2023.They found that out of 77,310 first-time users of semaglutide for weight loss, over half (40,262; median age 50 years, 72% women) were no longer taking it after one year. About 18%, 31% and 42% stopped taking treatment within 3, 6, and 9 months, respectively. But why are people quitting these drugs? Weight loss drugs are expensive
The researchers found that the most common factor influencing the likelihood of discontinuation was age. About 48% of the younger users (18-29) are quitting the treatment within the first year, compared to those in the age range of 45-59. 14% of the people in low-income areas were more likely to discontinue treatment within the first year than those living in high-income areas.All these factors point to the high cost of these medications (2000 Euros per year for the lowest dose of semaglutide as of June 2025.Higher predisposition to adverse effects
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Another factor influencing the discontinuation of the medication are its adverse effects. People who previously used gastrointestinal medications are more vulnerable to the common adverse gastrointestinal side-effects reported by GLP1-RA users. These include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. 9% are more likely to discontinue the medication within the first year due to this.People with a history of psychiatric medications were 12% more likely to discontinue treatment within the first year. Those with cardiovascular disease or other chronic conditions were around 10% more likely to stop treatment early. “This is particularly concerning given that people with obesity-related comorbidities may reap the greatest benefit from treatment,” Professor Thomsen said. The study also found that compared to women, men were 12% more likely to quit this medication, which points to the unsatisfactory weight loss in them.
“These results are new and shed light on the reasons for high rates of early discontinuation of semaglutide for weight loss in a real-world setting. With over half of adults in Europe living with overweight or obesity, understanding who may benefit most from interventions that encourage adherence is essential to improving treatment use and subsequent health outcomes and quality of life,” Professor Thomsen added.
