Heart Attack and Stroke Risk Jumps When People Stop Taking GLP-1s
4 hours ago
- #GLP-1
- #weight-loss
- #cardiovascular-health
- GLP-1 drugs, originally for diabetes, now show benefits for kidney health, liver function, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, dementia, and addiction.
- Stopping GLP-1s leads to weight regain and loss of other health benefits, including increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
- Research on U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes found a 22% higher risk of major cardiovascular events after stopping GLP-1s for two years.
- Restarting GLP-1s after a break does not fully restore previous benefits, with only a 12% reduction in heart attack and stroke risk compared to 18% for continuous users.
- Around half of people stop taking GLP-1s shortly after starting, highlighting the need for better adherence strategies and candid discussions about side effects.
- Adherence to GLP-1 treatment should be prioritized as a key outcome, with health systems supporting indefinite medication use for chronic conditions.