There may not be a safe off-ramp for some taking GLP-1 drugs, study suggests
3 hours ago
- #obesity treatment
- #GLP-1 drugs
- #weight management
- GLP-1 weight-loss medications are popular but stopping them leads to weight regain and loss of cardiovascular and metabolic benefits.
- A JAMA Internal Medicine study found that stopping tirzepatide (Zepbound) resulted in regained weight and worsened health metrics like blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Experts suggest rebranding these drugs from 'weight loss' to 'weight management,' indicating potential indefinite use.
- About half of people stop GLP-1 drugs within a year, often mistakenly believing they can discontinue after reaching a target weight.
- The study involved 670 participants with obesity or overweight (without diabetes) who took tirzepatide for 36 weeks, then some continued or switched to a placebo for 52 weeks.
- Participants who switched to placebo regained weight and saw health declines, especially those who initially lost at least 10% of their body weight.