November 13, 2026, 12:46 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are primarily known for their impact on body weight. However, GLP-1 medications can do more. They lower blood sugar and can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases in certain patients. But does this protection persist after the therapy ends? A large study from Italy provides new insights.
In the study, people with type 2 diabetes who discontinued GLP-1 therapy experienced more heart attacks, strokes, or deaths than patients who continued their medication. However, there are important limitations in interpreting these results.
Data from More Than 80,000 People with Diabetes Analyzed
For the study, researchers analyzed data from 80,302 people with type 2 diabetes from a total of 301 Italian diabetes centers.1 At the start, none of the participants had known cardiovascular disease. All patients had received medications from the group of GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat their diabetes. This group of active ingredients includes semaglutide, found in Ozempic and Wegovy. Importantly, the study focused on patients who received GLP-1 medications due to their type 2 diabetes and not primarily for weight loss.
By the end of the observation period, 31,687 patients (39.5 percent) continued their medication, while 48,615 patients (60.5 percent) had stopped the treatment. For direct comparison, researchers created statistically matched groups of 28,713 people each.
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Risk Significantly Higher After Discontinuation
A noticeable difference emerged: Patients who ended their GLP-1 therapy had about twice the risk for the combined endpoint of heart attack, stroke, or death compared to those who continued their medication.
The difference was particularly large in overall mortality (deaths from any cause): It was nearly five times higher after discontinuation. For patients with severe obesity, this risk increase was even more pronounced.
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Does This Mean Discontinuation Is Dangerous?
The data does not allow for such a clear conclusion. The study is observational and can show a correlation but cannot prove causation. For example, researchers do not know the exact reasons for discontinuation: It is possible that patients who were already in poor health were more likely to stop the therapy. The higher mortality could then be due to existing comorbidities and not directly to the discontinuation itself.
Equally important: The study examined people with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, the results cannot be automatically applied to people who take GLP-1 medications solely for weight loss. Additionally, newer drugs like tirzepatide were not included in the study. The study also does not allow for a comparison with people who never started GLP-1 therapy.
Do Not Discontinue GLP-1 Medications on Your Own
The results raise an important question about the causes: Surprisingly, classic risk factors like blood sugar, blood pressure, or cholesterol hardly worsened after discontinuation and could not explain the increased risk. This suggests that the heart protection from the medications may work through direct vascular and anti-inflammatory effects that quickly diminish after discontinuation—independent of lab values. Further studies need to clarify this. Based on the current state of knowledge, this study does not conclude that discontinuing a “weight loss injection” increases the risk of heart attack or stroke for every patient.
Anyone taking semaglutide or another GLP-1 medication and considering ending the therapy should discuss this with their doctor and not stop the medication on their own.