Study wrapper · #1245
Trends in utilization of glucagon-like peptide‑1 receptor agonists, sodium-glucose cotransporter‑2 inhibitors, and metabolic bariatric surgery in U.S. Adults with diabetes and obesity.
Editor's note
This is market-structure data rather than an efficacy study, and it quantifies two things the field discusses anecdotally: the near-total shift of metabolic care toward incretin drugs, and how leaky real-world use is — roughly half of initiators discontinue within a year. Tirzepatide leading on adherence and persistence is a competitive signal worth watching. Limitations are those of claims data: no reasons for discontinuation, no cash-pay or compounded use captured, and a privately insured population that may not generalize.
Plain-language abstract
Using insurance claims and health records from over 335,000 US adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity, researchers tracked which weight and glucose therapies people actually start and stick with. GLP-1 drugs dominated new starts, with semaglutide accounting for 62% and tirzepatide 33% of GLP-1 initiations in 2024, while bariatric surgery has become rare. Notably, only about half of patients were still on their medication a year later, and tirzepatide had the best adherence of the group.