Around half of people on semaglutide for obesity stop taking it early

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-08-29 01:00

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Danish and UK scientists say around half of people prescribed semaglutide for obesity may stop taking it before the full course is over. The team looked at health records for nearly 160,000 Danes without diabetes who started taking semaglutide for obesity management. Within a year, around half (49%) of them had stopped using the drug. Young men from poorer backgrounds who already had other health conditions, previous gut problems or mental health issues were the most likely to stop taking semaglutide early, the authors say. Unpleasant side-effects and the high cost of the drug likely also contributed to people's decision to stop, they add.

News release

From: JAMA

Discontinuation of Semaglutide Therapy for Obesity Management

This cohort study examines the risk of and baseline variables associated with discontinuation of semaglutide treatment for obesity management among individuals in Denmark. Among adults without diabetes who initiated semaglutide for obesity management, approximately half discontinued treatment within 12 months. Discontinuation was more common among younger adults and men.

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Journal/
conference: JAMA Network Open

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Aarhus University, Denmark

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