Adherence
Discontinuation of semaglutide or tirzepatide therapy within the first year significantly attenuates weight loss and glycemic improvement compared to continuous use, with early discontinuation yielding the poorest outcomes.
If you are using semaglutide or tirzepatide for weight loss, stopping the medication—even for a short time—significantly reduces your chances of losing weight. The data shows that people who stop early lose only 3.6% of their body weight, whereas those who stay on it lose nearly 12%. To achieve clinically meaningful results, you must maintain the prescription and reach a high maintenance dose.
Mean (SD) percentage weight reduction at 1 year was 8.7% (9.6%); and it was 3.6% (8.1%) with early discontinuation, 6.8% (9.1%) with late discontinuation, and 11.9% (9.2%) with non-discontinuation (p < 0.001).
Why this rating
Large retrospective cohort (n=7881) with real-world data, though observational design limits causal inference compared to RCTs.
Source
Changes in weight and glycemic control following obesity treatment with semaglutide or tirzepatide by discontinuation status
Hamlet Gasoyan et al. · Obesity · 2025
DOI 10.1002/oby.24331
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