GLP-1 patients may keep off lost pounds after stopping treatment

A real-world U.S. data analysis found many patients maintained or continued to lose weight months after stopping semaglutide or tirzepatide; the observational study has limitations and is being prepared for peer review.

Researchers analyzed electronic health records from a large U.S. academic clinical network to examine weight changes after patients stopped GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide. The analysis, carried out by data firm nference using AI on millions of notes and clinical entries, found many patients kept weight off or continued to lose weight after discontinuation. These observations differ from earlier clinical trial reports that showed substantial weight regain after stopping treatment. The authors and outside experts say the findings are preliminary and that the study awaits peer review. Key findings: - nference analyzed data covering more than 135,000 patients, including about 14 million doctors' notes and 15 million clinical data entries. - Among roughly 18,000 tirzepatide users, 1,615 discontinued; six months later about 28% had regained weight, 36% maintained their loss and 36% continued losing weight. - Among roughly 37,500 semaglutide users, 2,567 discontinued; six months later about 33% had regained weight, 32% maintained their loss and 35% were still losing weight. - The median weight change six months after stopping was 0%, which the researchers say suggests typical patients had stabilized by that point. - The study found that patients who received exercise counseling after their last recorded GLP-1 prescription were nearly twice as likely to maintain weight loss; the analysis is observational, does not fully account for other medical conditions, dosing or lifestyle factors, and is being prepared for peer review. Summary: The analysis suggests durable weight loss after stopping GLP-1s may be achievable for many patients in routine care, though results varied across individuals. Because the work is observational and has data limitations, the authors and independent experts describe the findings as preliminary pending peer review. Researchers say further study is needed to better identify which patients maintain benefits and which do not.