Cleveland Clinic Study Examines Weight Changes After Stopping GLP-1 Drugs

Analysis of nearly 8,000 adults found 45% kept weight off after one year

Mar. 12, 2026 at 9:12pm

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A new Cleveland Clinic study analyzed what happens when patients stop taking injectable GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide for obesity or type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that many patients successfully stabilized their weight through alternative treatments and lifestyle changes, with 45% keeping off weight loss after one year.

Why it matters

As the use of GLP-1 drugs continues to rise, understanding what happens when patients stop taking them is crucial. This real-world data provides important context beyond previous clinical trials, showing that many patients are able to maintain weight loss through personalized, ongoing support.

The details

The retrospective study looked at nearly 8,000 adult patients in Ohio and Florida who stopped taking semaglutide or tirzepatide within 3-12 months. Patients treated for obesity lost an average of 8.4% of body weight before discontinuation, and regained an average of 0.5% one year later. For those treated for type 2 diabetes, the average weight loss was 4.4% before stopping, with an additional 1.3% loss one year later. Overall, 45% of the obesity group and 56% of the diabetes group kept losing or maintained weight after stopping the medication.

  • The study was published on March 12, 2026.

The players

Cleveland Clinic

A nonprofit academic medical center based in Cleveland, Ohio that conducts medical research.

Hamlet Gasoyan

A researcher with Cleveland Clinic's Center for Value-Based Care Research who led the study.

Semaglutide

An injectable GLP-1 drug sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy.

Tirzepatide

An injectable GLP-1 drug sold under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound.

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What they’re saying

“Our real‑world data show that many patients who stop semaglutide or tirzepatide restart the medication or transition to another obesity treatment, which may explain why they regain less weight than patients in randomized trials.”

— Hamlet Gasoyan, Researcher, Cleveland Clinic Center for Value-Based Care Research (Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism)

“Many patients do not give up on their obesity treatment journey, even if they need to stop their initial medication. In our future work, we will examine the comparative effectiveness of alternative treatment options for obesity in patients who discontinue semaglutide or tirzepatide, to help patients and their clinicians make informed decisions.”

— Hamlet Gasoyan, Researcher, Cleveland Clinic Center for Value-Based Care Research (Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism)

What’s next

Researchers plan to further examine the comparative effectiveness of alternative obesity treatment options for patients who discontinue GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide.

The takeaway

This real-world data shows that many patients are able to maintain weight loss after stopping GLP-1 drugs through personalized, ongoing support and exploring alternative treatment options. This provides important context beyond previous clinical trials and underscores the need for comprehensive, long-term obesity management.