Discontinuation of semaglutide or tirzepatide generally does not result in significant weight regain. Many patients later resumed treatment or switched to other weight management approaches, which helped them maintain much of the progress they had made.
A new one, published in March in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolismsuggests that around 8000 people who stopped taking Ozempic or medicines with similar effects did not regain weight significantly.
According to , researchers monitored 7938 adults overweight or obese in Ohio and Florida. Participants had started treatment with injectable semaglutide or tirzepatide for obesity or type 2 diabetes and subsequently discontinued the medication between three to 12 months after the start of treatment.
Patients treated for obesity lost, on average, 8.4% of their body weight before stopping treatment and regained just 0.5% a year later. Those treated for type 2 diabetes lost, on average, 4.4% of their body weight before stopping treatment and continued to lose more than 1.3% over the following year.
Among the patients treated for obesity55% gained weight during the following year, while 45% maintained their weight or continued to lose weight. Among the diabetes patients44% gained weight, while 56% maintained their weight or continued to lose weight.
The two main reasons for discontinuing these medications are side effects and financial issues. Still, many patients sought alternatives during the year following stopping their initial GLP-1 medication.
About 27% switched to another medication, 20% returned to their original medication, 14% continued treatment through lifestyle modification consultations with healthcare professionals, and less than 1% underwent surgery.
“Despite needing to stop their initial medication, many patients do not give up on their treatment journey,” said the study’s first author, Hamlet Gasoyan.
“In future work, we will examine the effectiveness of alternative treatment options for obesity in patients discontinuing semaglutide or tirzepatide, to help patients and their doctors make informed decisions,” he concluded.
