Researchers have found that stopping popular weight loss and diabetes medications, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, can quickly erase their cardiovascular protective benefits, potentially increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke and death.
The study led by Washington University in St. Louis, published in BMJ Medicine, followed more than 330,000 U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes for three years.
The results suggest that patients who regularly took GLP-1 medications saw an 18% reduction in major cardiovascular events.
But those who stopped treatment for just six months experienced a 4% to 8% increase in risk compared to continued users.
Gaps of one to two years increased this risk by 14 to 22%.
The findings coincide with separate Cleveland Clinic research published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, which provided a more optimistic outlook on weight regain after stopping GLP-1.
The study included a sample of 8,000 patients and found that those who stopped treatment only regained 0.5% of their lost weight on average after a year, largely because 27% of them switched to alternative obesity medications and 20% eventually returned to their original treatment.
About half of GLP-1 users stop using the drugs after a year, often due to high costs, which can exceed $1,000 per month without insurance, side effects such as nausea, or a lack of supply.
Manufacturers are trying to alleviate the problem, with Novo Nordisk announcing price reductions of up to 50%.
Experts emphasized the need for patients to seek advice from a healthcare professional before planning a transition strategy, which may include alternative therapies and lifestyle changes to achieve weight and cardiovascular health.
