What happens to your body and mind when luck, recovery and weight loss collide? New research has answers

CLEVELAND – Check out Tuesday’s Daily Feed from 3 News Senior Health Correspondent Monica Robbins…

If you’ve stopped taking GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound — or you’re worried about what might happen if you need to — new research paints a more encouraging picture than previous studies suggest.

In one of the largest real-world analyzes of its kind, Cleveland Clinic researchers studied nearly 8,000 adults in Ohio and Florida who stopped taking semaglutide or terzapatide within three to 12 months of starting. Previous randomized clinical trials have shown that patients regain more than half their weight within a year of stopping. But this study, published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, told a different story.

Almost half – 45% – of patients in the obese group either continued to lose weight or kept it off a year after stopping. Those treated for obesity regain an average of only 0.5% of their body weight. Those treated for type 2 diabetes actually lost an additional 1.3%.

So what difference did it make? Researchers say it depends on what patients do next. Instead of just standing by and doing nothing, many remained busy with their care. About 20% restarted their original medication. Another 27% switched to different obesity treatments. Fourteen percent continue to work with health care professionals such as dietitians and exercise specialists. A small number pursued bariatric surgery.

In total, nearly half of all patients followed some form of continuing obesity care after discontinuation—and researchers believe that ongoing involvement is the main reason their weight was lower than expected.

The number one reason patients stopped in the first place? cost Insurance coverage limitations were the dominant factor, followed by side effects. Notably, patients treated for type 2 diabetes are more likely to restart their medication—likely because insurance coverage for diabetes-related prescriptions is more consistent than coverage for obesity treatment.

The takeaway for patients is straightforward: If you have to stop your GLP-1 medication, don’t skip your weight management journey. Talk to your doctor about what’s next—because the evidence suggests that staying busy, in whatever form, makes a real difference.

For pregnant women struggling with opioid use disorder, a new treatment option may offer better outcomes for both mother and baby.

A clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health found that weekly injectable extended-release buprenorphine resulted in significantly higher levels of illicit opioids during pregnancy than a standard daily disintegrating tablet taken under the tongue. The findings were published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The study included 140 pregnant adults who were randomly assigned to receive weekly injection or standard daily sublingual buprenorphine. The researchers found that not only did the injectable group show a higher rate of immunity during pregnancy, but serious maternal adverse events were also less common in this group during the trial. Neonatal outcomes were similar between the two groups.

The standard daily tablet has long been an effective treatment, but it comes with real-world challenges — including abuse risk, inconsistent adherence, and daily changes in medication levels that can leave patients more vulnerable to cravings and persistent opioid use. A weekly injection addresses many of these concerns by delivering a constant, consistent level of medication without the need for daily dosing.

The researchers called the findings immediately clinically applicable — meaning doctors can act on the information now. For pregnant patients and their care teams managing opioid use disorder, this long-acting formulation represents a meaningful new tool.

Untreated opioid use disorder during pregnancy carries serious risks, including the risk of fatal overdose for the mother and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome in the newborn. Effective, evidence-based treatment options are critical—and this study adds important new evidence to that conversation.

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available 24 hours a day. Call 988, or visit FindTreatment.gov.

With St. Patrick’s Day here, you might find yourself reaching for a lucky charm before a big moment, crossing your fingers, or hanging on to those lucky socks. Turns out, there’s real science behind why it works—and it has nothing to do with magic.

A psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic explains that lucky charms and rituals are actually helpful—not because they have any supernatural powers, but because of what they do to your mindset. When you believe something will bring you luck, it gives you a sense of control. This sense of control leads to a more positive outlook. And a more positive outlook makes you more likely to take actions that lead to better results.

Consider wearing your lucky socks to a job interview. Socks don’t get you a job – but the confidence boost they give you.

The flip side is equally important. Believing that you’re unlucky—telling yourself that things always go wrong, or that you’re somehow messed up—can create a self-fulfilling cycle of negative consequences. Belief shapes behavior, and behavior creates results.

For anyone stuck in this type of negative thinking, a simple but effective cognitive technique can help: write down a negative thought, then write down its opposite. If your inner voice says “I’m always unlucky,” reframe “I’m one of the luckiest people I know.” Regularly repeating positive affirmations can gradually foster a healthier, more resilient mindset.

Of course, if the negative thinking feels persistent or overwhelming—beyond what a happy heart or positive mantra can address—it may be worth checking in with a mental health professional.

So this St. Patrick’s Day, go ahead and grab that four-leaf clover. Just know that real luck? It is already within you.