If GLP-1-based drugs promote weight loss, the benefits fade quickly after stopping treatment, according to researchers, who point to some solutions.
- GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, provide significant but temporary weight loss: after stopping treatment, patients regain much of the lost weight, emphasizing that obesity is a chronic disease requiring long-term treatment .
- However, these medications present complications: side effects, logistical constraints and psychological impact. Currently, no effective strategy to maintain weight loss after stopping GLP-1 is proven.
- Personalized medical monitoring and adapted approaches, such as gradual dose reduction, remain essential for sustainable management of obesity.
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro have revolutionized weight management, but can they guarantee lasting results after stopping treatment? The latest scientific studies cast doubt on this, says a team of researchers from Yale School of Medicine, in the United States.
Promising results… in the short term
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, initially developed for type 2 diabetes, have been shown to be very effective in promoting weight loss. In clinical trials, participants experienced significant losses: up to 21% of their body weight in some studies like the Surmount-4 Trial. However, once treatment is stopped, patients regain most of the weight lost. In the Step 1 Trial, participants who stopped taking the GLP-1 drug semaglutide regained an average of 11.6% of their initial weight. Two years later, the net loss for a 70 kg person was only 3.8 kg. In short: without continued use, the benefits fade quickly.
According to experts, obesity should be considered a chronic disease, similar to hypertension or high cholesterol. And, as with these pathologies, stopping treatments leads to a return to the initial situation. Trials such as the Step 4 Trial confirm this observation: patients who continued the treatment continued to lose weight, while those switched to a placebo quickly regained the lost pounds.
Obesity: the challenges of long-term treatment
Researchers emphasize the need to maintain treatments to effectively manage weight loss, while emphasizing that their long-term use can generate complications:
– Side effects: Gastrointestinal disorders are common, and too rapid weight loss can lead to complications such as gallstones or muscle wasting.
– Logistical constraints: High cost, refrigerated storage and need for regular injections may discourage some patients.
– A psychological impact: Suddenly stopping medications can cause intense cravings and a feeling of deprivation, making weight maintenance difficult.
Although today, no specific strategy has proven its effectiveness for maintaining weight after stopping GLP-1, there are nevertheless certain methods: a gradual reduction in doses (to limit sudden weight regain), therapies (including old medications or lifestyle interventions) or personalized monitoring, discussions with healthcare professionals being essential to adapt care on a case-by-case basis.
