New research shows 52% of Danish patients prescribed semaglutide for weight loss quit the medication after one year. The study tracked over 77,000 patients from December 2022 to October 2023. Dropout rates increased over time: 18 percent at three months, 31 percent at six months, and 42 percent at nine months. High costs appear to drive discontinuation, with younger adults 18-29 being 48 percent more likely to quit and low-income residents 14 percent more likely to stop. “This level of drop off is concerning because these medications aren’t meant to be a temporary quick fix,” Thomsen said. “For them to work effectively, they need to be taken long term.” The results mirror a 2024 U.S. study showing similar 50 percent dropout rates after one year. (Story URL)
