WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study published in the journal Obesity found that more than 1.1 million people in the United States were prescribed GLP-1 drugs without a recorded medical condition that qualified them for the treatment under US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines.
The researchers analyzed data from COSMOS, a database containing more than 300 million patient records from thousands of hospitals and clinics in the US and other countries using software developed by Epic Systems.
The researchers looked at prescriptions for three GLP-1 drugs approved for weight management - liraglutide, semaglutide and tirzepatide.
Between 2021 and 2025, researchers identified around 90 million adults who had no recorded medical condition that qualified them for GLP-1 treatment. Of these, more than 1.1 million received a prescription for one of the drugs.
The rate of prescriptions in this group increased over the five years. In 2021, 0.11% of these adults received a GLP-1 prescription. By 2025, the figure had risen to 1.5%, a 13.6-fold increase.
However, the researchers said that not having a qualifying condition recorded in medical records does not necessarily mean a person does not have it. Some patients may have had obesity or related health problems that were not properly recorded. Others may have qualified for the drugs before their medical records were added to the database. Some may also have lost weight before their records were reviewed.
To account for these gaps, the researchers excluded people whose BMI was not recorded at least six months before they received a GLP-1 prescription. They also conducted a separate analysis of people who had no current qualifying condition and no previous recorded history of obesity.
This second analysis showed a similar increase in prescriptions over time. The researchers noted that some people who appeared to be receiving the drugs without an approved medical reason may have previously had obesity. They may still be taking the medicines to manage their weight and prevent weight regain.
The study also highlighted the difference between the number of people using GLP-1 drugs and the number who may benefit from them. Around 11% of Americans have reportedly used a GLP-1 drug at some point, while about 40% of US adults have obesity.
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