Overview
- Pooling 37 studies covering more than 9,000 people, researchers found average weight regain of about 0.4 kg per month after stopping, projecting a return to baseline in roughly 18 months.
- Cardiometabolic gains such as lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar were estimated to revert to pre-treatment levels about 1.4 years after discontinuation.
- Weight regain after ending medication was nearly four times faster than after stopping diet-and-exercise programs, even accounting for greater initial losses on the drugs.
- In trials of semaglutide and tirzepatide, participants lost nearly 15 kg while on treatment but regained about 10 kg within a year after stopping, the longest follow-up available for these newer agents.
- About half of users discontinue within a year due to side effects, costs and injections, prompting calls for ongoing or combination approaches, and recent FDA approval of a daily oral semaglutide tablet may affect adherence.