In the real world, the use of semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound) produce far less weight loss than in the randomized clinical trials, largely because people discontinue using them early or use lower maintenance doses, new research found.

Data from electronic health records of patients seen during 2021-2023 at the Cleveland Clinic’s Ohio and Florida centers also yielded some surprises: A large majority, over 80% of patients, were using low maintenance doses of the medications (ie, the treatment dose used for the longest period of time). And even after early discontinuation (within 3 months), there wasn’t the rapid weight regain seen in some of the trials. Improvements in A1c were also seen among those with prediabetes even after discontinuation.

The findings , published on J

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