Most people taking GLP-1s like Ozempic are white women — plus 4 other takeaways from a new study

The popularity of medications called GLP-1s, or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists — which include semaglutide drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy — continues to surge, with one in eight adults saying they’ve taken it. These medications have been shown to help people lose a significant amount of weight, as well as help with blood sugar levels in those with type 2 diabetes.

While the medications aren’t without side effects, research has linked semaglutide with a range of health improvements, like a lowered risk of developing kidney disease, the potential to help with alcohol addiction and the possibility of decreasing the risk of heart disease. However, access has been an issue. “These medications are extremely profitable to the pharmaceutical companies that make them,” Dr. Kunal Shah, assistant professor in the division of endocrinology at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center, tells Yahoo Life. “The prices for these drugs are incredibly high.” Ozempic, for example, currently costs about $1,000 for a one-month supply, according to GoodRx.

Now a new research report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine has some interesting findings on who, exactly, is taking these drugs and what it could mean for access. Here’s what we’ve learned, based on the findings.

Semaglutide is the most popular GLP-1 drug prescribed right now

That’s not necessarily shocking, given how Ozempic has become a household name. But doctors say it’s interesting since studies have shown that the similar medication tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) leads to more significant weight loss and better blood sugar control.

More than 80% of new prescriptions for GLP-1 receptor agonists in 2023 were for semaglutide, study co-author Dr. Ali Rezaie, medical director of the GI Motility Program and director of bioinformatics at the Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) program at Cedars-Sinai in L.A., tells Yahoo Life.

“Ozempic seems to be a catch-all for everybody when it comes to referring to these medications,” Shah says. “People feel the most familiarity with it, even though tirzepatide is more efficacious in terms of weight loss.”

However, Shah notes that “there is a huge supply shortage of tirzepatide.” While the FDA reports shortages for semaglutide as well, Shah says that Wegovy is now in stock more often.

Prescriptions are on the rise in people without diabetes or obesity

Ozempic is technically approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help patients with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar. But this latest study found that the number of new users of GLP-1 receptor agonists with type 2 diabetes has dropped, while prescriptions for people who have obesity or similar conditions but who don’t have type 2 diabetes has jumped.

The number of people taking GLP-1 receptor agonists who didn’t meet the FDA’s criteria for being prescribed the medications went up from 0.21% in 2019 to 0.37% in 2023 — meaning, more people who don’t have diabetes or obesity are using these medications.

“It’s not shocking to me,” Shah says. People who have overweight or obesity are at risk of serious health complications like cardiovascular disease or diabetes and also may struggle with energy and poor sleeping habits, he points out. “These medications can indirectly help by helping them to lose weight,” Shah says.

And that may play a role in drug shortages

Semaglutide and other GLP-1 medications keep experiencing shortages on and off, causing issues for people, such as those with type 2 diabetes, who need these medications. “The current rapid rise in use of these medications can certainly adversely affect patient access and cause shortages,” Rezaie says.

Shah agrees, adding: “There are people who need these medications for diabetes or obesity who don’t have access because it’s not being used appropriately.” This can be a challenge for doctors who care for these patients, he says. “You always try to do what’s best for the patient, but when it comes to patients who need these medications and can’t get them, that can be difficult,” Shah says.

Most users are white women

The new users of GLP-1 medications were disproportionately female, white, non-Hispanic and had a BMI of 30 or higher, according to the study. A BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. There was also an increase of users who had a BMI of 27 to 29.9 and another health condition related to their weight, which is considered overweight but not obese.

“This is what we're seeing in our practice,” Dr. Mir Ali, bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif., tells Yahoo Life. “There is a great demand for these medications, and they’re primarily from middle-class white women.”

But there are higher rates of obesity in people who are Hispanic and African American, Ali points out. “In this country, there is disproportionate access,” he says. “A lot of it has to do with socioeconomic levels and insurance coverage.”

Rezaie agrees. “Prevalence of diabetes and obesity are generally higher in Hispanics and African Americans,” he says. “Underrepresentation of these groups suggest that access to GLP-1 receptor agonists needs to be improved.”

Shah stresses that this doesn’t mean that other people can’t benefit from these medications. “I don’t begrudge anyone looking to lose weight,” he says.

As for why more women than men are taking these medications, Ali says it may have to do with societal pressure. “There’s more stigma around women being overweight,” he says. “For men, it’s more socially acceptable to be overweight.”

Doctors agree that things need to change

Rezaie says that the ability for patients to benefit from GLP-1 receptor agonists is “largely influenced by the policies we establish to ensure these medications are available and affordable to those who benefit from them,” Rezaie says. “Otherwise access to GLP-1 receptor agonists will vary significantly, much like the historical challenges with insulin accessibility.”

Shah says that unless there’s government regulation or other companies that can provide some level of competition to bring down the cost, the prices for these medications will remain high because the demand will continue to increase. “There has to be a breaking point at some point,” he says. “It’s a serious, serious issue and one that I hope gets resolved soon.”