A new study has found that most people who stopped using semaglutide, the active ingredient in popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, regained about two-thirds of the weight they lost and showed worsening health indicators, including increased blood pressure, cholesterol and risk of heart disease.
How does Ozempic work?
Wegovy and Ozempic are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists and cause weight loss by mimicking the actions of GLP-1, a hormone in the brain that regulates appetite and feelings of satiety.
According to the study, about 12 percent of US adults reported having used at least one GLP-1 receptor agonist, while 6 percent reported current use.
About 85 percent of people who started using medications like Ozempic stopped using them within two years, and 71 percent stopped using them within the first year.
This is for two reasons: Either because they had reached the desired weight or because the drugs are very expensive, at a price of approximately $1,000 per month.
Since it was released on the market, semaglutide has not only shown success in treating diabetes and obesity, but new research also shows that it has a positive role in lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart attacks or strokes.
But its use for weight loss may not be equally positive.
A study by Northwestern University researchers reported that while it is not clear how stopping GLP-1 receptor agonists affects long-term heart health, findings suggest that it may increase cardiovascular risk.
But given the high rate of discontinuation of such medications and the negative side effects that follow, the researchers said it is imperative to study whether using these drugs from the start provides any long-term benefits and lowers people's health risks, or whether the disadvantages of stopping the medication are higher than the benefit.
While the researchers behind the latest study did not definitively say that patients will need to use these drugs for life to keep the disease under control, their findings show that people who use GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight management and improved health cardiometabolic conditions may need long-term use as well.
What happens when Ozempic is stopped:
Discontinuing use of Ozempic was also associated with worsening levels of several cardiovascular and metabolic health risk factors that play a role in heart health and diabetes.
Previous research has found that, after 68 weeks of injections, the average patient has lost more than 15 percent of their body weight.
However, within 12 months of finishing treatment, about 300 patients regained about two-thirds of the weight they had lost.
The researchers added that doctors and patients should also discuss what might happen if therapy is stopped.
Dr. Domenica Rubino, director of the Center for Weight Management and Research in Washington, told the BBC: “Obesity is not like an infection where you take antibiotics and everything goes away. Unlike hypertension, diabetes, and many other chronic diseases we treat, where you need to use chronic medications, such as statins for heart health, those who stop using their medications can experience unwanted side effects. There have been numerous reports of dangerous side effects in those actively using semaglutide, such as severe nausea and vomiting, suicidal thoughts and stomach paralysis," she said.
Ozempic's entry into the pharmaceutical market was first approved by the FDA to manage diabetes, and its "twin" drug Wegovy, now approved for weight loss, marked a sea change in the way doctors treat obesity.
Several medications have been shown to help people lose about five to 20 percent of their body weight. Widespread use of the medication has already affected national obesity rates, which have fallen by nearly five percent in a year.
Approximately five million Americans were prescribed semaglutide in 2023, and nearly four in 10 used it specifically for weight loss, not diabetes management.
The researchers noted: “The use of GLP-1 receptor agonists will likely continue to increase rapidly in the US as indications for coverage expand. But the alarming rates of discontinuation of GLP-1 receptor agonists should draw the attention of physicians, politicians and public health experts.”
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