GLP-1 Trends
GLP-1s are a class of medications originally approved for type 2 diabetes management that have seen dramatic growth in prescribing following expanded approvals for chronic weight management. Their uptake has varied across patient populations, raising questions about evolving clinical practice. The goal of this tracker is to provide insight into recent trends in GLP-1 prescribing rates.
Data
GLP-1 for Adults
Q3 2026
Quarterly rates per 100,000 of patients receiving clinical care being prescribed, dispensed, or reporting that they started a GLP-1 medication.
GLP-1 Orders for Patients with Diabetes
Q3 2026
Quarterly rates per 100,000 of patients with documentation of type 2 diabetes and receiving clinical care receiving a prescription, dispense, or reporting starting a GLP-1 medication.
GLP-1 Orders for Overweight or Obese Patients
Q3 2026
Quarterly rates per 100,000 of patients with an overweight or obese BMI receiving a prescription, dispense, or reporting starting a GLP-1 medication.
Metric Definitions
- Numerator
- Patients who received a prescription, medication dispense, or reported starting a GLP-1 medication in the quarter.
- Denominator (All Adults)
- The number of adult patients who have either a recorded body mass index (BMI) or a prescription, medication dispense, or patient recorded medication in the quarter.
- Denominator (Type 2 Diabetes)
- The number of adult patients who have a type 2 diabetes diagnosis by the end of the quarter and a prescription or patient reported medication in the quarter
- Denominator (Overweight or Obese BMI)
- The number of adult patients who have a recorded body mass index (BMI) over 25 in the quarter, excluding encounters where the patient was pregnant.
- Type 2 Diabetes
- A diagnosis with ICD-10-CM codes E11*.
- GLP-1
- Medications with a simple generic name of "semaglutide", "liraglutide", "tirzepatide", "dulaglutide", "exenatide", "exenatide microspheres", or "insulin degludec/liraglutide" and at least one of:
- A pharmaceutical class of "ANTI-OBESITY GLUCAGON-LIKE PEPTIDE-1 RECEP AGONIST" or "ANTIHYPERGLYCEMIC - INCRETIN MIMETICS COMBINATION"
- A pharmaceutical class that contains "GLP-1"
- A pharmaceutical subclass that contains the text "GLP-1"
Related Articles
ExpandMost Adults Without Diabetes Maintain Their GLP-1 Weight Loss Through a Second Year, Though Gradual Regain Begins After the One-Year Mark
Among adults without diabetes who lost weight during their first year on a GLP-1 medication, most sustained that loss into the second year. At the two-year mark, 53.1% of semaglutide patients and 52.9% of tirzepatide patients had maintained their weight within a narrow band of their one-year weight, and a further 31.9% (semaglutide) and 39.3% (tirzepatide) had lost even more.
ExpandAdults with Diabetes on GLP-1s Largely Maintain Their First-Year Weight Loss
Among adults with diabetes who lost weight during their first year on a GLP-1 medication, most maintained or extended that loss when the GLP-1 was continued into the second year. At the two-year mark, 37.7% of semaglutide patients and 47.3% of tirzepatide patients had maintained their weight loss, and another 35.4% and 38.6%, respectively, had continued to lose weight.
ExpandGLP-1 Treatment Associated with a 39% Lower Risk of Repeat Substance Overdose
Among adults who have had a documented substance overdose, those who started on a GLP-1 had a 39% lower risk of a repeat overdose within three years of their overdose compared to patients who were never prescribed a GLP-1. Patients who started and later discontinued a GLP-1 still had a 20% lower risk than patients who never used a GLP-1.
ExpandBariatric Surgery Patients Have Higher Rates of Diagnosed Nutritional Deficiencies Than GLP-1 and Other Weight-Loss Medication Patients at 15 Months
At 15 months post-treatment, 12.5% of bariatric surgery patients had a new diagnosis of nutritional or iron-deficiency anemia, compared to 4.6% of GLP-1 patients and 3.8% of patients on other weight-loss medications.
ExpandMost Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Maintain HbA1c Improvements a Year After Stopping GLP-1 Medications
Three months after stopping a GLP-1, 40% of patients had further improved their HbA1c compared to when they discontinued the GLP-1, 48% kept some of their improvement, and just 12% had a worse HbA1c compared to their pre-GLP-1 level.
ExpandGLP-1 Use Has More Than Quadrupled Since 2021 as Obesity Rates Continue to Show Signs of Decline
Two new data trackers from Epic Research now provide quarterly snapshots of GLP-1 use and BMI distribution in the U.S. adult population.
ExpandGLP-1 Use Associated with Lower Osteoporosis Risk in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes but Higher Risk in Adults Without Diabetes
Among adults with type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis risk was lower for patients prescribed a GLP-1 than for patients who were not prescribed a GLP-1, when compared to a baseline of stable-weight patients who were not prescribed a GLP-1.
ExpandGLP-1 Therapy Associated with Lower Fracture Risk in Patients with Bone Density Disorders
Among patients with type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 use was associated with a 32% lower fracture risk for those with either osteopenia or osteoporosis.
ExpandGLP-1s Lead to Greater Weight Loss and A1C Improvement Than Metformin in Patients with PCOS
Among patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the median one-year weight change was an 11.5% loss for those treated with a GLP-1, compared to a 1.9% loss among those treated with metformin.
ExpandGLP-1 Use in Non-Diabetics Associated with Trivial Increase in Creatinine
Among non-diabetic patients without chronic kidney disease (CKD), there was a minimal increase of 0.01 mg/dL to 0.02 mg/dL in serum creatinine in the months following initiation of semaglutide, liraglutide, or tirzepatide. Of note, creatinine values can vary up to 0.6 mg/dL and still be considered within the normal range.
ExpandTwo Years After Stopping GLP-1s, Most Patients Sustain at Least Some Weight Loss
At 24 months post-cessation, 56% of semaglutide, 52% of liraglutide, and 55% of tirzepatide patients kept the weight off or lost additional weight.
ExpandSome Diabetic Complications Less Likely Among Type 1 Diabetics on GLP-1s
Patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) who are prescribed a GLP-1 medication and insulin are 55% less likely to have a hyperglycemia-related ED visit, 26% less likely to have an amputation-related visit, and 29% less likely to have a diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)-related ED visit in the following year compared to those on insulin alone.
ExpandGLP-1 Medications Associated with Reduced Likelihood of Dementia Compared to Other Diabetic Meds
Patients with diabetes who are prescribed semaglutide, exenatide, liraglutide, or dulaglutide experience a 23–44% reduced likelihood of dementia compared to those prescribed other diabetes management medications.
ExpandPatients Who Undergo Bariatric Surgery Achieve Greater Weight Loss and Lower Cardiovascular Event Rates Compared to Those on GLP-1 Medications
76% of patients who undergo bariatric surgery lose at least 15% of their starting weight within a year, compared to 46% of patients prescribed tirzepatide, 30% of patients prescribed semaglutide, and 8% of patients prescribed liraglutide.
ExpandPatients Who Lose Weight After Starting GLP-1s More Likely to See Thyroid Level Improvement
Patients with hypothyroidism who lose more than five pounds after starting a GLP-1 medication experience on average a 0.36 mU/L to 0.55 mU/L reduction of their thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels.
