Stopping the Olympics? New research reveals surprising weight regain results after GLP-1s

With millions of people using injectable GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy or Zepbound, many may wonder what happens if they stop.

Previous clinical trials have suggested an encouraging “recovery” effect, where patients regain a significant portion of their lost weight immediately after treatment ends.

However, a new study from the Cleveland Clinic, published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, offers a more promising look at what happens when the injections stop.

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The study looked at nearly 8,000 adults in Ohio and Florida who had used semaglutide or terzapatide for three to 12 months before stopping.

Unlike tightly controlled clinical trials, researchers looked at “real-world” outcomes where patients often switch from one drug to another.

Overall, patients did not experience significant weight regain in the year after discontinuing GLP-1. Among those treated specifically for obesity, the weight loss before stopping was 8.4%. After a year, they have recovered only 0.5% on average.

“Our real-world data show that many patients who stop semaglutide or terzepatide restart the drug or switch to another obesity treatment, which may explain why they regain less weight than patients in randomized trials,” said study lead author Dr. Hamlet Gusoyan in a press release.

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This suggests that relapses seen in clinical trials may be the result of patients being left without alternative support, a scenario that does not occur in clinical practice, the researchers say.

An estimated 27% of patients were switched to different drugs, including older-generation obesity drugs, while another 20% eventually resumed their original drug when insurance issues or side effects were resolved.

Another 14% moved into intensive lifestyle change programs, working closely with diet and exercise specialists.

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Patients who maintained their weight remained engaged with the health care system, whether through alternative prescriptions or lifestyle support, the researchers noted.

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There were some limitations to the study.

“We included adult patients from a single large integrated health system in Ohio and Florida,” the authors noted. “Patient characteristics and health care delivery patterns vary across the United States, which may limit the generalizability of our findings.”

Some of the observed weight loss may be related to other interventions that the researchers could not control.

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“In our future work, we will examine the comparative effectiveness of alternative treatment options for obesity in patients stopping semaglutide or terzapatide, to help patients and their clinicians make informed decisions,” Gaswan added.