Many Who Stop GLP-1 Medications Restart Within a Year, Study Finds
Key Takeaways:
- Around 4 in 10 people with type 2 diabetes stopped their GLP-1 medication within the first year, rising to nearly 6 in 10 by the end of two years.
- Of those who stopped, more than half restarted within a year and nearly two-thirds within two years, suggesting use is often start-and-stop rather than permanent.
- Newer medications, a prescription from an endocrinologist, and fewer stomach-related side effects were all linked to a lower likelihood of stopping.
Use is more start-and-stop than assumed
People prescribed GLP-1 medications are more likely to start and stop treatment than many assume, according to a study being presented on Sunday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois.
“Our study asked two questions that haven’t been well answered until now: How many people with type 2 diabetes taking GLP-1 medications actually stop using them? And how many restart them?” said Sainikhil Sontha, M.S., a research associate at Boston University School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts.
How the study was carried out
The researchers ran a retrospective cohort study using Komodo Health US claims data covering January 2019 to June 2025. The group included adults aged 18 to 64 years with a BMI of 25 kg/m² or above and type 2 diabetes who had started liraglutide, semaglutide, or tirzepatide, and who had previously enrolled within the last year with more than six months of follow-up.
Discontinuation was defined as a gap of more than 60 days in filling a GLP-1 prescription. Obtaining a new fill after discontinuation was counted as reinitiation.
How many people stopped
“Using insurance records from more than 60,000 Americans with type 2 diabetes, we found that about 4 in 10 patients stopped their GLP-1 medication within the first year, and nearly 6 in 10 had stopped by the end of two years,” Sontha said.
But the team also found something more encouraging.
How many people restarted
“More than half of those who stopped restarted therapy within a year (41.5%), and nearly two-thirds did so within two years (58%),” Sontha said. “This suggests that for many patients, these medications aren’t being abandoned permanently; use is more start-and-stop than most people assumed.”
Who was more likely to stop
Using Cox proportional hazards models, the researchers also accounted for sociodemographic, clinical, and provider-level predictors.
Sontha and colleagues found that people on Medicaid or Medicare, people who are Black, and those experiencing nausea or other stomach-related side effects (37%) were more likely to discontinue a GLP-1 medication within a year.
What was linked to staying on treatment
People were 10% less likely to stop if their first GLP-1 medication was prescribed by an endocrinologist.
The type of medication also made a difference. People taking newer medications such as tirzepatide were 41% less likely to discontinue than those taking older drugs such as liraglutide, while people taking semaglutide were 28% less likely to discontinue anti-obesity medication use than those on older medications.
Why it matters
“This research matters because consistent use of these medications is what produces their protective effects,” Sontha said. “Stopping early may mean missed opportunities to prevent heart attacks, kidney disease progression and other complications.”
The researchers hope the findings give providers, insurers, and policymakers a clearer picture of which patients need more support to stay on GLP-1 medications.
Source: Endocrine Society
