Weight-loss drug benefits: People who stop taking weight-loss medications tend to regain weight steadily, with many returning to their pre-treatment weight within about two years, according to a large analysis of previously published studies.
Researchers reviewed data from 37 studies involving 9,341 adults with obesity or overweight who were treated with any of 18 different weight-loss drugs. On average, patients regained close to one pound (0.4 kg) per month after discontinuing medication. Based on the combined data, the team projected a return to baseline weight in about 1.7 years.
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The analysis also found that improvements in cardiovascular risk factors did not appear to last once treatment stopped. Measures such as blood pressure and cholesterol, which typically improve during medication use, were projected to return to pre-treatment levels in about 1.4 years on average.
Around half of the participants in the pooled research had taken GLP-1–based treatments, including the newer drugs semaglutide and tirzepatide. In people who had used those medications, weight regain was faster, averaging about 1.8 pounds (0.8 kg) per month after stopping.
However, the researchers noted that because these drugs often lead to larger initial weight loss, the estimated timeline for returning to the starting weight was similar to other medications: roughly 1.5 years after stopping semaglutide or tirzepatide, compared with about 1.7 years across all drugs.
The researchers also reported that, regardless of how much weight participants lost, the pace of weight regain after stopping medication was generally faster than what has been observed after behavioural weight-management programmes.
