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"Staggeringly high" rates of discontinuation of GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic or Wegovy
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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The use of diabetes and weight-loss drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy — drugs called GLP-1 — has risen sharply in recent years, with 12% of U.S. adults already using them despite the high cost, according to a June 2024 survey.
What is less commonly reported is that 50–75% of people who start taking these medications stop using them within a year.
Northwestern Medicine cardiologist Dr. Sadia Khan aims to find out why this happens, what the consequences of stopping therapy early might be, and how to help patients stay on treatment.
This should raise alarm bells.
"The staggeringly high rates of discontinuation of GLP-1 RA drugs should raise alarm among physicians, policymakers, and public health experts," said Hahn, an associate professor of medicine (cardiology) and preventive medicine (epidemiology) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a physician at Northwestern Medicine.
"While research is needed to accurately assess and identify the causes, we suspect that there are a number of challenges," Khan said. "First and foremost, the high cost of these drugs is likely to be a significant barrier.
"In addition, unlike therapies used to treat high blood pressure or cholesterol, the perception that these drugs are not intended to treat chronic disease may also play a role. For example, some people think they will stop taking them once they lose weight, while others use them only for cosmetic purposes rather than to manage a chronic disease."
Call for further research
In a new opinion piece in JAMA Viewpoint, Hahn and other authors call for further research to understand reasons for treatment discontinuation and to develop clinical and policy interventions to support long-term use.
“The newer, more potent GLP-1 RAs have revolutionized the therapeutic approach for patients who are overweight, obese or diabetic,” she said. “In addition to the much-discussed weight loss benefits, these drugs, such as semaglutide, have demonstrated significant benefits, including a 20-25% reduction in cardiovascular events, regardless of weight achieved.”
The paper's authors cite a survey published in 2023 that found that while 45% of adults in the US were interested in using these drugs for weight control, that figure dropped to 14% when participants were told about the risk of weight gain after stopping therapy.