Hormonal
Long-term use of GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) provides durable cardiovascular and metabolic protection without significant long-term adverse events, whereas discontinuation leads to rapid weight regain and reversal of cardioprotective benefits.
Treat obesity as a chronic condition requiring long-term management with GLP-1 RAs. Do not stop the medication once you reach your goal weight, as you will likely regain the weight and lose cardiovascular benefits. Expect gastrointestinal side effects early on, but know they usually improve after a few months. Work with your doctor to manage costs and side effects to maintain adherence.
Sustained therapy confers durable cardiometabolic protection, while discontinuation leads to rapid relapse of weight and risk factors.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple large randomized controlled trials (SELECT, STEP 1, STEP 4) and meta-analyses involving tens of thousands of patients.
Source
GLP1-RAs: long-term use versus discontinuation events of an emerging therapy for obesity and cardiovascular diseases
Edward Salerno et al. · Current Problems in Cardiology · 2025
DOI 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2025.103213
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →