One-third of people that take weight reduction drugs like Wegovy stop taking the treatment inside the first month, and about 60 p.c stop after three months.
That is in keeping with a brand new examine Analysis A listing of weight-loss drug prescriptions written for 170,000 overweight and obese adults by the Blue Cross Blue Defend Affiliation from 2014 via early 2024.
Consultants have raised issues about these figures, saying an individual must take the drug for at the least 12 weeks to attain 'clinically significant' weight reduction – or a discount of at the least 5 per cent in physique weight.
The researchers didn't work out why so many individuals stop so rapidly, however it could be as a result of big selection of disagreeable unwanted side effects reported by some customers, resembling indigestion, nausea and suicidal ideas, in addition to issue filling prescriptions due to the associated fee or frequent shortages of the medicine.
Information present that many sufferers stop weight problems drugs earlier than attaining clinically significant weight reduction, or earlier than shedding at the least 5 p.c of their physique weight.
The evaluation searched databases for prescriptions for Saxenda — or liraglutide — and Wegovy — or semaglutide — that have been written between 2014, when Saxenda first grew to become obtainable, and December 2023, the newest obtainable date.
Researchers discovered a pointy enhance in the usage of weight reduction drugs, with simply 5,717 new prescriptions written for weight reduction medicine in 2020, in comparison with 120,763 in 2023 — a 2,000 p.c enhance.
These medicine have been initially accepted for sort 2 diabetics, however the FDA has now accepted lots of them for weight reduction as nicely — which suggests they might be coated by insurance coverage.
Some drugs are additionally prescribed off-label for this objective.
The examine didn’t embody prescriptions for tirzepatide – often known as Zepabound – as a result of it was not accepted for weight reduction till November final 12 months.
It additionally didn’t embody prescriptions for Ozempic, because the drug is just not accepted for weight reduction however is used off-label for it.
This graph reveals that 30 p.c of individuals utilizing weight reduction medicine stop taking the medicine inside one month, whereas 58 p.c stop after three months
The above graph reveals how prescriptions for weight reduction medicine are skyrocketing within the US
All prescriptions have been for customers who had personal medical insurance whereas these on Medicaid or Medicare have been excluded. Sufferers have been tracked for 180 days.
General, the common age of sufferers who acquired these medicine was 45 years, and 79 p.c of them have been ladies.
The evaluation discovered that customers below age 35 who acquired a prescription from a major care supplier have been probably to stop the treatment.
Individuals youthful than 35 have been 41 p.c much less prone to proceed taking drugs than individuals aged 35 to 54. Individuals aged 55 to 64 have been 48 p.c much less prone to proceed taking drugs than these aged 64.
The researchers additionally discovered that sufferers with three or extra comorbidities — resembling diabetes, hypertension or coronary heart illness — have been 14 p.c much less prone to proceed remedy for at the least 12 weeks than these with no underlying situations.
Razia Hashmi, vice chairman of medical affairs on the affiliation, mentioned: 'When sufferers take medication, we wish it to be protected and efficient.
'This examine reveals that most individuals are unlikely to see lasting advantages. Sadly, losing a few pounds isn't so simple as filling a prescription.'
There isn’t a set time restrict for the way lengthy an individual ought to take the treatment, though in medical trials, overweight sufferers got the drug for as much as 68 weeks.
Medical spa workers say that individuals taking this treatment can lose as much as 1 pound per week till they attain their purpose weight.
However to maintain the load off, many encourage individuals to make food regimen and life-style modifications — like getting extra train and consuming more healthy — together with drugs.
And separate research present that many sufferers who cease taking the drugs quickly regain all the load they misplaced.
Researchers on the Blue Cross Blue Defend Affiliation didn’t clarify why individuals cease utilizing these drugs, however it could be due to disagreeable unwanted side effects reported by customers.
Scientific trials confirmed that 43 p.c of customers of semaglutide, the drug utilized in Wegovy, suffered from nausea, whereas 30 p.c suffered from diarrhea.
In additional worrying instances, sufferers have additionally reported shedding their hair whereas on the drug and experiencing belly ache worse than labor pains as a result of pancreatitis, or irritation of the pancreas.
Plus, these medicine are costly — a month’s dose of Ozempic prices $936 within the US — as much as 1,300 per cent greater than in international locations just like the UK and France, the place it prices as little as $93.
Most main insurance coverage firms cowl Wegovy prescriptions for weight reduction, however sufferers should still must foot the invoice for a co-pay.
Weight-loss medicine are additionally experiencing frequent shortages — three of Wegovy's 5 dosages are at the moment not extensively obtainable, in keeping with an FDA database.
