A KKF poll finds that overall, 12% of Americans have used or are using a GLP-1 agonist such as Trulicity, Ozempic, or Mounjaro for weight loss or to manage Type 2 diabetes and associated complications.

Specifically, around 25% of people who have been told they have heart disease are taking the meds, and that goes up to 40% among those with Type 2 diabetes.

The poll also shows that 22% of those who have been diagnosed as overweight or obese (and don't have diabetes) say they've tried them. But they're also the group that’s most likely to discontinue the medication.

A recent study in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism says almost half of those patients discontinue the drugs within a year because of gastrointestinal side effects, the price tag, or perceived lack of benefit.

Speaking of perceived lack of benefit ... everything from lack of compliance to insulin resistance, medication conflicts, or chronic medical issues such as arthritis that inhibit resistance training to maintain muscle mass may keep the meds from working effectively.

That happens to around 14% of people taking a GLP-1 agonist.

But another new study shows one way to increase the effectiveness. Combining a GLP-1 agonist with another diabetes medication called an SGLT2 inhibitor (such as Jardiance and Farxiga) is the most effective way to improve heart and kidney health, which are negatively impacted by diabetes and obesity.