GoKawiilThe more GLP-1s catch on, the more benefits researchers discover. Originally formulated to treat diabetes, the popular weight-loss drugs have been shown to improve kidney health, liver function, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and even dementia and addiction.
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What happens when you stop taking them, though? We know the weight tends to return, but research published today in BMJ Medicine shows some of the other benefits of GLP-1s vanish as well.
“There is enormous exuberance about starting GLP-1 drugs, but not nearly enough attention to what happens when people stop,” study author Ziyad Al-Aly of Washington University in St. Louis said in a statement.
To find out what happens when people stop taking GLP-1s, Al-Aly’s team of researchers tracked the health of more than 333,000 United States veterans with type 2 diabetes for three years. They found that the risk of heart attack and stroke jumped in those that paused GLP-1 treatments for as little as six months, compared to those who continued taking the medication. The longer time spent off GLP-1s, the greater the risk of major cardiovascular events—up to 22 percent for those who abstained for two years.
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“When they stop, it’s not just weight that comes back; they experience a resurgence in inflammation, blood pressure, and cholesterol,” Al-Aly explained. “Weight regain is visible; the metabolic reversal is not.”
What about those who restarted a GLP-1 regimen after taking a break? Unfortunately, the benefits didn’t fully return. Participants who stuck with GLP-1s for the entire three-year study period saw their risk of heart attack and stroke cut by 18 percent while those who restarted after a break saw only a 12 percent reduction. Researchers say this is because the benefits of GLP-1s take time to fully accumulate, but then vanish quickly without the drug.
“Our data suggest this metabolic whiplash is detrimental to heart health,” Al-Aly added. “Restarting the medication helped restore some protection, but only partially, showing that discontinuation leaves a lasting scar.”
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