New research led by scientists at the University of Liverpool, presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026), offers insight into how weight loss from GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy affects the risk of obesity-related diseases.
The study analyzed health records for 89,718 individuals in the US who started taking GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP drugs between January 2021 and June 2024. Body mass index (BMI) changes were tracked for a year, with subsequent health conditions monitored for an average of 11 months.
Patients whose BMI dropped 15% or more had a 37% lower risk of osteoarthritis, a 30% lower risk of chronic kidney disease, a 69% lower risk of obstructive sleep apnea, and a 32% lower risk of heart failure compared to those with more modest weight loss.
The findings suggest that the health benefits of these drugs are closely tied to reductions in BMI rather than the drugs themselves, emphasizing the importance of achieving and maintaining weight loss during treatment.
About half of participants stopped treatment before one year, but were still included in the analysis.