WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A large Danish study found that while semaglutide is highly effective for weight loss, more than half of adults without diabetes discontinue its use within a year.
The researchers looked at data from over 77,000 people who took anti-obesity medications but did not have diabetes. Researchers found that 52 percent stopped taking the drugs within 12 months. Of these, 18 percent quit within three months, 31 percent within six months, and 42 percent by nine months.
The main reasons for quitting were the high cost of the drug, unpleasant side effects like nausea and vomiting, and other health or mental health issues. Younger people and men were more likely to stop, which is worrying because stopping the drug often leads to regaining the lost weight.
'This level of drop off is concerning because these medications aren't meant to be a temporary quick fix,' explained lead author Professor Reimar Thomsen from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
'For them to work effectively, they need to be taken long-term. All of the beneficial effects on appetite control are lost if the medication is stopped.'
People were more likely to stop using the drug if they were younger, male, had chronic illnesses, lived in poorer areas, or had previously taken medications for stomach or mental health problems.
Adults under 30 were 48 percent more likely to quit within the first year compared to those aged 45 to 59. Those living in low-income neighborhoods were 14 percent more likely to stop than people from wealthier areas.
Researchers say this shows that the high price of these medications may make it difficult for many to keep using them.
The study's results, which are not yet published in a medical journal, will be presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes' annual meeting in Vienna this week.
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