Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of Annals of Internal Medicine, ANNALS-24-02878. https://doi.org/10.7326/ANNALS-24-02878 Cade Shadbolt et al.
Points
- The use of GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight loss among U.S. adults without diabetes tripled from 2018 to 2022 yet remained limited to about 1 in 250 adults by 2022.
- In 2022 alone, spending on GLP-1 drugs among this group reached $5.8 billion, with each prescription costing approximately $1,540 on average but just under $35 paid out-of-pocket by patients.
- Initially approved for diabetes, GLP-1 drugs gained popularity for obesity treatment due to their ability to suppress appetite and slow digestion, contributing to their growing off-label use.
- Researchers used national health data to track usage and expenditures, making this the first large-scale analysis of GLP-1 drug use for weight loss in non-diabetic U.S. adults.
- The study raises concerns about rising healthcare costs and emphasizes the need for policies that improve affordability and access while managing spending on weight-loss treatments.
Summary
A recent study examined the use and expenditure of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) for weight loss among U.S. adults without diabetes, a group that has become increasingly prescribed these medications. Between 2018 and 2022, GLP-1 drug use among this population tripled, rising from 0.1% to 0.4%, or approximately 854,000 adults. Despite the surge in usage, only 1 in 250 U.S. adults without diabetes used GLP-1 drugs in 2022. The total spending on these medications reached $5.8 billion in the same year, with an average cost of $1,540 per prescription.
The study highlights the cost burden of these medications, as the average price per prescription consistently exceeded $1,500. However, patients paid an average of under $35 out-of-pocket per prescription. While the adoption rate remained limited, the increase in GLP-1RA use is significant, reflecting the growing interest in their weight-loss potential. These drugs, initially approved for diabetes management, are now also prescribed for obesity due to their appetite-suppressing and food-digesting properties.
Researchers analyzed U.S. federal health data to track the trends in GLP-1RA use and associated expenditures, providing a first-of-its-kind characterization of national use among non-diabetic adults. The results emphasize the tension between the increasing costs of these drugs and the need for broader accessibility and affordability. The study provides critical insights into the sustainability of healthcare spending on weight loss treatments and underlines the need for policy discussions on balancing these factors to improve patient access.
Link to the article: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-24-02878
References Shadbolt, C., Elkin, J., Schilling, C., Hua, X., Choong, P. F. M., & Dowsey, M. M. (2025). National trends in glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist use in adults without diabetes, 2018 to 2022. Annals of Internal Medicine, ANNALS-24-02878. https://doi.org/10.7326/ANNALS-24-02878
