JAMA Network Open Study Evaluates Which Patients Are More Likely To Discontinue Obesity Medications

Patients without insurance coverage for GLP-1 drugs face unique challenges in staying on these treatments, so their inclusion in research on adherence is essential.

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Patricia Rodriguez PhD MPH
Principal Applied Scientist
Truveta Research

Ty J. Gluckman, MD, MHA  
Center for Cardiovascular Analytics
Research and Data Science (CARDS)
Providence Heart Institute
Providence Health System
Portland, Oregon

Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD
Healthcare Transformation Institute
Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy
Perelman School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Dr. Tricia Rodriguez PhD MPH

WeightControl.com:  What is the background for this study? 

Response: “Millions of Americans could benefit from GLP-1s, but clinical trials suggest that patients need to stay on these drugs to experience sustained benefits. We were interested in using data from patients across the country to understand whether patients are staying on these drugs, and what barriers may exist to continued use.

We looked at about 125,000 patients who started GLP-1 medications and found that a majority of patients stop taking them within one year. About 65% without type 2 diabetes (T2D) stopped within one year, compared with 47% of those with T2D.

Last Updated on February 3, 2025 by weightcontrol

Pages: Page 1, Page 2