Real-World Study Finds Injectable Obesity Medications Yield Less Weight Loss Than Expected

Recent research from Cleveland Clinic reveals that injectable GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, approved for obesity management, tend to produce less weight loss in everyday clinical settings compared to controlled clinical trials. The study highlights that many patients discontinue treatment prematurely or use lower maintenance dosages, which adversely impacts outcomes, including blood sugar control in prediabetic individuals.

The study, published in the Obesity Journal, involved 7,881 adult patients with severe obesity and included a subset with pre-diabetes. Participants started treatment with semaglutide or tirzepatide between 2021 and 2023, but more than 20% discontinued early, and 32% discontinued later, often at lower dosages. On average, patients who ceased treatment early lost only about 3.6% of their body weight after a year, while those who continued late or persisted with higher doses achieved greater weight reductions, with the latter group losing approximately 11.9% to 18% of their body weight.

The study also found that patients who maintained treatment on higher doses experienced more significant weight loss and better blood sugar regulation. Factors linked to achieving a 10% or greater weight loss included continuous medication use, higher doses, female gender, and the use of tirzepatide over semaglutide.

Treatment discontinuation was primarily due to medication costs, insurance issues, side effects, and shortages. Despite weight loss differences, patients who stopped medication maintained relatively stable weight trajectories. The findings suggest that supporting patients in continued treatment and optimizing dosage could lead to better health outcomes.

This research underscores the importance of adherence and dosage in the real-world effectiveness of obesity medications, emphasizing the need for strategies to improve patient retention and compliance for optimal results.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-medications-obesity-smaller-weight-loss.html