- One in eight American adults has used a GLP-1 agonist.
- This class of drugs is prescribed for weight loss, to treat diabetes, and to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in adults with heart disease.
- Use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss alone was greater among younger adults than those 65 years and older.
One in eight or about 13% of American adults have used a GLP-1 agonist, a class of drugs prescribed for weight loss, to treat diabetes, or to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke brain in adults with heart disease, a new survey. Found.
Half of these people, or about 6%, report that they are currently taking one of these medications, which includes Novo Nordisks Ozempic and Wegovy, and Eli Lillys Mounjaro and Zepbound, among others.
I suspect a great driver of this descent [of people currently using the drugs] it’s the cost, said Beverly Tchang, MD, an endocrinologist and advisor to Ro. More than 50% of respondents identified cost or insurance coverage as their top concern in the KFF survey.
The latest KFF Health Monitoring Survey, conducted from April 23 to May 1, also found higher rates of GLP-1 drug use among people who were told by their doctor that they had diabetes (43%) or heart disease (26%).
In addition, higher rates were seen among people who were told by their doctor that they are obese or overweight, with 22% of these people taking the drug.
Most people who have taken a GLP-1 drug have taken it for diabetes mellitus and now heart disease, said Katrina Mattingly, MD, medical director of Options Medical Weight Loss.
Despite this, [these drugs] are still being vastly underutilized for overweight and obese populations, which is a major risk factor for the development of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease (CVD), he told Healthline. Once people lose weight, the risk of diabetes and CVD, and the complications of these conditions, goes down with it.
Differences between racial and ethnic groups were also observed. In the survey, nearly two in 10 black adults (18%) reported taking a GLP-1 drug, compared with one in 10 white adults (10%) and about one in eight Hispanic adults (13%).
Black Americans tend to suffer disproportionate rates of chronic disease, so it makes sense that there would be more utilization in this population for chronic disease management, Mattingly said.
However, it would be interesting to see what the use of weight loss versus chronic disease would be across demographics, he said. As we know, minority populations do not always have access to the same quality healthcare or the financial ability to pay for these powerful drugs.
About 62% of people who have taken GLP-1 drugs did so as a treatment for diabetes, heart disease or another chronic condition, and 38% said they did so primarily for weight loss .
The fact that these drugs are not used for weight loss may mean that health insurers are less likely to cover the cost of high-priced GLP-1s if they are prescribed solely to help with weight loss. These restrictions leave people paying all or most of the cost of the drug out of pocket.
List prices for GLP-1 drugs range from $900 to $1,400 per month. This is the price before insurance coverage, coupons or discounts.
About half of adults, or 54 percent, who have taken a GLP-1 agonist reported having difficulty affording the drug, with 22 percent saying it was very difficult, according to the KFF survey.
Even 53% of people with some insurance coverage for GLP-1 medications had difficulty paying for these medications.
The cost of GLP-1 drugs for uninsured patients and those caught in the coverage gap is unsustainable for the average American who can’t even afford a $400 emergency out-of-pocket expense, Mattingly said.
[GLP-1] Drugs should be seen as a necessity and not a luxury, he said. I would like to see the costs associated with GLP-1 medications reach the same level of affordability as generic blood pressure medications.
The KFF survey also found that younger adults are more likely than older adults to report taking GLP-1 medications only for weight loss.
From 18 to 29 years old, 7% used a GLP-1 drug to lose weight, and from 30 to 49 years old, the rate was 6%.
By comparison, among adults age 65 and older, 8% reported taking a GLP-1 medication for diabetes, heart disease, or another chronic condition. However, only 1% report using a GLP-1 drug to lose weight.
Younger adults often have the discretionary cash to spend on these weight-loss drugs, which are often not covered by insurance, Mattingly said. But adults age 65 and older are more likely to be retired, on a fixed income, and recipients of Medicare benefits.
Medicare, by law, cannot cover the cost of GLP-1 medications when prescribed solely for weight loss.
That’s why we’re seeing it more for chronic conditions that supplemental insurance can help cover rather than just for weight loss, Mattingly said.
However, there is strong public support for broader Medicare coverage of GLP-1 drugs.
About 61% of adults say they think Medicare should cover the cost of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs when people are overweight. Rates were similar for all age groups.
In contrast, higher numbers of Democrats (66%) and independents (63%) say Medicare should cover GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, compared with Republicans (55%).
You rarely see Democrats and Republicans agree on an issue, so it’s especially shocking that majorities agree on this, Tchang told Healthline. Medicare should cover GLP1s for obesity.
Sue Decotiis, MD, a weight loss doctor based in New York, hopes more Americans will start taking GLP-1 for weight loss, especially now that Zepbound and Wegovy are FDA-approved for this use. She hopes more doctors will also feel comfortable prescribing these drugs just for weight loss.
However, he believes cost will remain an issue for some time. Tchang agrees, saying the use of these drugs will be limited by barriers to access created by insurance.
Mattingly hopes that expanding insurance coverage will allow more people to take advantage of these drugs.
Insurance companies will realize it’s cheaper to treat obesity rather than pay for chronic conditions that stem from being overweight or obese, he said, such as strokes, heart attacks, joint replacements, sleep apnea , depression and others.
With obesity treatment on the rise, we expect health care costs will eventually come down over the long term, Mattingly said, lowering premiums and out-of-pocket costs for everyone.
Chang agrees.
Medicare is uniquely positioned to be the first to experience the combined benefits of covering GLP-1 for obesity at age 65, he said. Over the next 20 years, we could discover all the heart surgeries, knee surgeries, and hospitalizations that were avoided and that the system never had to pay for because of GLP-1 coverage.
However, the large number of prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs has meant that there has been a significant shortage of some of these drugs. And that shortage may get worse, Decotiis hopes.
The shortage can affect patients in multiple ways, Decotiis said. First, patients may not be able to take their medicine regularly because they cannot find it in a pharmacy. They may also not be able to find the right dose of the medicine, even if the pharmacy has other doses in stock.
[These shortages] they are very upsetting for patients, he told Healthline. And doctors are drawn to it, too, because we get phone calls from patients.
A KFF Health Monitor survey found that one in eight American adults had used a GLP-1 agonist, and half of those people still take the drug.
These drugs include Novo Nordisks Ozempic and Wegovy, and Eli Lillys Mounjaro and Zepbound, among others. They are prescribed to help people lose weight, to treat diabetes, or to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in adults with heart disease.
Cost was a big issue among people who have used a GLP-1 drug, even among those whose insurance covers part of the drug. At this time, Medicare does not cover GLP-1s when prescribed solely for weight loss.
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