Topic
What do the GLP-1 trials actually show?
The GLP-1 trial record, endpoint by endpoint, with plain-English takeaways drawn from the source studies.
How Much Weight Do You Lose on Semaglutide? Results by Dose and TypeIn the STEP 1 trial, adults taking 2.4 mg semaglutide weekly lost an average of 14.9% of body weight (15.3 kg, about 34 lb) over 68 weeks, versus 2.4% on placebo. Results vary by dose, pill versus injection, and the population studied.How Much Weight Do You Lose on Zepbound? Trial Results by DoseIn the main 72-week trial, adults without diabetes lost an average of 15.0% on 5 mg, 19.5% on 10 mg, and 20.9% on 15 mg of Zepbound, versus 3.1% on placebo. Losses ran smaller with type 2 diabetes and in real-world data.SELECT Trial Semaglutide Explained: Heart Attack and Stroke ResultsSELECT tested 2.4 mg weekly semaglutide against placebo in 17,604 adults with overweight or obesity and existing heart disease but no diabetes. It cut major cardiovascular events 20% relative — 6.5% vs 8.0% — over about 3.3 years.Semaglutide Results Week by Week: What the Trials Actually ShowThere is no true week-by-week semaglutide chart from trials — results were reported at week 68 (−14.9%), week 104 (−15.2%) and week 208 (−10.2%). Here is what the data do show about the shape of the curve, side effects and plateaus.Semaglutide vs Tirzepatide: Which Is Better for Weight Loss? SURMOUNT-5 ExplainedIn the first published head-to-head randomized trial in adults with obesity without diabetes, tirzepatide produced 20.2% weight loss versus 13.7% for semaglutide over 72 weeks. Here is what the study showed, plus side effects, heart evidence, and how clinicians say to choose.SURPASS-CVOT Results: What Tirzepatide Did for the Heart, ExplainedSURPASS-CVOT found tirzepatide (Mounjaro) noninferior to dulaglutide (Trulicity) for cardiovascular death, heart attack, or stroke: HR 0.92; 95.3% CI 0.83 to 1.01. Superiority was not met. A 16% lower all-cause death rate and kidney benefits were favorable but not statistically protected findings.Tirzepatide Clinical Trial Results: What the Studies ShowIn phase 3 trials, tirzepatide produced 15.0–20.9% mean weight loss over 72 weeks in adults with obesity (vs 3.1% on placebo) and cut HbA1c by 1.87–2.8 points across the diabetes trials, beating semaglutide 1 mg and two insulins head to head. Heart, kidney, and liver trial results were not verified for this page.What Happens If I Stop Taking Zepbound? What the Trials ShowIn the SURMOUNT-4 withdrawal trial, people who stopped tirzepatide regained an average of 14.0% of body weight in 52 weeks, while those who continued lost another 5.5%. Only 16.6% of stoppers kept most of their loss.What Happens When You Stop Taking Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy)Yes — across randomized trials, people who stopped semaglutide or tirzepatide regained an average of 9.69 kg, and in one tirzepatide withdrawal trial the group switched to placebo regained 14.0% of body weight in a year.What Semaglutide Clinical Trial Results Actually ShowAcross the main trials, semaglutide produced 14.9% mean weight loss over 68 weeks without diabetes, cut HbA1c by 1.45–1.55% at 30 weeks, and lowered major cardiovascular events (HR 0.86 in SOUL). Main harms: gastrointestinal events and a retinopathy-complication signal (HR 1.76) in SUSTAIN 6.When Will I See Results on Zepbound? Week-by-Week TimelineIn trials, 82% of adherent Zepbound users lost 5% or more of their body weight by week 12, and average loss at week 72 ranged from 15.0% on 5 mg to 20.9% on 15 mg. Here is how the timeline unfolds, and what a slow start really means.