What the weight trial found
The STEP 1 trial measured average weight loss at 68 weeks: 14.9% in the semaglutide group and 2.4% in the group given a dummy shot with no active medicine. a
The trial included adults without diabetes who had obesity or had excess weight with a health condition linked to that weight. a
Obesity is the medical term for excess body fat that affects health.
Both groups received support with food and activity, and the drug maker funded the trial. a
What the average leaves out
An average combines different results. People in the semaglutide trial varied in how much weight they lost. a
An advertisement using the average cannot tell you how much you will lose. Ask what progress would mean for the problem you want help with.
What happened after stopping
In the year after treatment ended, people in the STEP 1 follow-up study regained weight equal to about two-thirds of their earlier loss. b
Ask how care will continue over time and what happens if treatment ends.
It does not decide how long any individual takes the medicine. b
Match the evidence to the question
A weight study answers a weight question. A medicine's other uses can rest on different studies.
Ask the prescriber which result matters for the condition being treated and how progress will be reviewed.