Written By: N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe | Published : March 16, 2026 4:08 PM IST
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound have won a lot of attention due to their efficacy in treating type 2 diabetes and obesity. Although most individuals fear that quitting these drugs will automatically cause weight gain, a recent study indicates that it may not necessarily be the case for all individuals.
A study by the Cleveland Clinic which was published in the Journal of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism (DOM)revealed that halting the use of GLP-1 does not necessarily cause significant weight gain, as many patients in most instances switch to alternative therapies or lifestyle interventions that will keep them moving on.
Lead author of the study, Hamlet Gasoyan, DS, Ph.D., MPH, a researcher with Cleveland Clinic's Center for Value-Based Care Research, said, "Our real-world data show that many patients who stop semaglutide or tirzepatide restart the medication or transition to another obesity treatment, which may explain why they regain less weight than patients in randomized trials."
The study used electronic health record data of approximately 8,000 patients who stopped using GLP-1 between January 2021 and June 2025 in facilities of Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and Florida. The research targeted those who had received such treatments as semaglutide- or tirzepatide-based medication to manage type 2 diabetes or obesity and ceased it within three to twelve months after the initiation. A year after quitting to use GLP-1 drug, researchers noted that there were a number of treatment and weight patterns.
Approximately 19.6 per cent of the patients continued with the same GLP-1 therapy and 35.2 per cent of patients moved to other obesity interventions. Such options were alternative prescription medication, formal lifestyle change courses or metabolic and bariatric surgery.
Among patients with type 2 diabetes, who received GLP-1 drugs, the drugs resulted in an average 4.4 per cent weight loss in the body. Interestingly, these people had an extra 1.3 per cent of weight loss the next year on the cessation of the medication.
Once the researchers compared the overall results, they realised that 44 per cent of the patients gained weight and 56 per cent of the patients did not gain weight or gained more weight even after they stopped taking the medication.
The same trend was a bit different in patients who were prescribed GLP-1 drugs whose main purpose was to manage obesity. On average, this population gained 8.4 per cent weight loss during the treatment. Nonetheless, when they stopped taking the drug, they gained on average 0.5 per cent of their weight in the next year. Among them, more than 55 per cent of the patients were able to regain some weight and 45 per cent of them were in a position to maintain or keep losing weight.
These conclusions imply that weight regain is not universal and hence presents a positive outlook to the fact that weight regain may be experienced considering the type of treatment measures that patients may take after discontinuation of the medicine.
The content on TheHealthSite.com is only for informational purposes. It is not at all professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a healthcare specialist for any questions regarding your health or a medical condition.
