(NPR) – It’s quite common for people to start on GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound, especially as the diabetes and obesity treatments become more ubiquitous. They’re designed to treat chronic conditions, so the medicines are intended for lifelong use; yet a high percentage of people who start them also quit.

“We found that fewer than 1 in 4 patients remained on a GLP-1 medication after a year,” says Dr. Jaime Almandoz, an obesity medicine specialist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He looked at insurance claims data in a research letter published in JAMA and found that few patients actually adhere to the drugs for the long term. (Read More)