Stopping Ozempic may raise heart attack and stroke risk

A large study suggests the cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound can disappear surprisingly quickly when treatment stops. After two years off the medications, patients had a 22% higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and death compared with those who stayed on them. GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) have surged in popularity for treating diabetes and helping people lose weight. About one in eight U.S. adults now use these medications, which are also known to provide cardiovascular benefits. But new research suggests that those heart benefits may fade quickly when treatment is stopped.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis tracked more than 333,000 U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes for three years. They found that interrupting or stopping GLP-1 treatment for as little as six months was associated with a meaningful increase in the risk of major cardiovascular events compared with remaining on the medication. The longer patients stayed off treatment, the greater the increase in risk. After two years without GLP-1 therapy, the risk of heart attack, stroke and death was up to 22% higher than among people who continued treatment, largely wiping out the cardiovascular protection gained while taking the drugs. The