Skip to main content

2018 to 2022 Saw Increase in GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Use in Adults Without Diabetes

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on April 10, 2025.

via HealthDay

THURSDAY, April 10, 2025 -- Among U.S. adults without diabetes, the use of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) increased from 2018 to 2022, reaching annual prevalence of 0.4 percent in 2022, according to a study published online April 1 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Cade Shadbolt, from the University of Melbourne in Australia, and colleagues examined data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component from 2018 to 2022 to examine GLP-1 RA use and expenditure among U.S adults without diabetes.

The researchers found that the pooled annual prevalence of GLP-1 RA use was 0.1 percent in the unweighted sample of 89,854 U.S. adults without diabetes from 2018 to 2021. The annual prevalence increased to 0.4 percent by 2022, with an estimated 854,728 adults without diabetes using GLP-1 RAs. The annual expenditure on GLP-1 RAs increased from $1.6 billion between 2018 and 2021 to $5.8 billion in 2022 among adults without diabetes. The mean number of prescriptions per user was 4.1 from 2018 to 2022, with a mean expenditure of $1,540.00 and mean out-of-pocket costs of $34.68 per prescription.

"The number of U.S. adults without diabetes using GLP-1 RAs increased more than threefold between 2018 and 2022, leading to $5.8 billion in direct spending by 2022," the authors write. "Despite this, adoption remained limited, as only one in 250 U.S. adults without diabetes used a GLP-1 RA in 2022."

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Hepatitis B Virus Immunity Linked to Reduced Risk for Diabetes

THURSDAY, Sept. 11, 2025 -- Hepatitis B virus (HBV) immunity in individuals without HBV infection is associated with a reduced risk for diabetes, according to a study published...

Sugar Consumption Positively Related to Temperature

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10, 2025 -- Sugar consumption is positively related to temperature, mainly driven by increased intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and frozen desserts, according...

Poor Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Health Increases Psoriasis Risk

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10, 2025 -- Poor cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) health is associated with an increased risk for psoriasis, especially for those with high genetic risk...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.