Danish national cohort on semaglutide persistence published in JAMA Network Open

A cohort study of 77,310 Danish adults without diabetes who started semaglutide for weight loss has now been published in full in JAMA Network Open, after first being presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in 2025 ^[1]. The study tracked how many people stopped taking the drug and how quickly, using Denmark's national health registries ^[1].

The numbers are stark. Within three months of starting semaglutide, 18% of patients had already stopped ^[1]. By one year, just over half — 52% — had discontinued treatment ^[1]. Researchers used a statistical method called a Kaplan-Meier curve to chart this dropout over time, marking cumulative discontinuation risk at the 3, 6, 9, and 12 month points ^[1].

The study also looked at which patients were most likely to quit early. Age stood out as a major factor: adults between 18 and 30 years old had the highest rates of stopping treatment, more than older age groups ^[1]. Researchers used a forest plot to compare age- and sex-adjusted risk ratios across different baseline characteristics, including other medications and health conditions patients had when they started semaglutide ^[1].

Because the study drew on Denmark's national databases, it captures a broad, real-world population rather than a narrow clinical trial group ^[1]. The paper notes this is a cohort study examining both the risk of discontinuation and the baseline factors linked to it ^[1]. The full list of comorbidities and specific risk ratios tied to dropout was not detailed beyond the forest plot summary, so exactly which health conditions predict early quitting, apart from young age, is not fully spelled out in the available material ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

Semaglutide, sold as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus, is typically taken long-term for weight management, and stopping it has known consequences. Related research cited in the same paper found that people who stop GLP-1 medications for weight loss tend to regain weight, a pattern also seen after semaglutide was withdrawn in an extension of the STEP 1 trial ^[1]. A broader systematic review and meta-analysis published in BMJ likewise found weight regain common after stopping weight-management drugs ^[1].

For patients considering or currently taking semaglutide, this Danish data offers a real-world picture of how many people actually stay on the drug versus how many stop, especially in the first year. The finding that younger adults, ages 18 to 30, are most likely to discontinue is notable because it suggests age itself may be tied to whether someone sticks with treatment, separate from side effects or cost ^[1]. Other US-based studies referenced in the same body of research have also examined discontinuation and restarting of GLP-1 drugs among American adults with overweight or obesity, suggesting this pattern of high early dropout is not unique to Denmark ^[1].

What happens next

The published paper does not specify follow-up studies or a timeline for further Danish data collection ^[1]. Researchers noted funding disclosures tied to Aarhus University and Danish Medicines Agency grants, along with author relationships to pharmaceutical companies including Novo Nordisk, though the authors state none of these relationships were tied to this specific study ^[1]. Whether US regulators or professional groups will respond to these persistence figures with new guidance is not addressed in the available material and is not yet known.