One in 10 US Adults Uses GLP-1 Drugs, Nearly Half Differently Than Prescribed
A CDC study estimates that about 9.8 percent of US adults used GLP-1 medications in 2025. Nearly half of users took them differently from how they were prescribed, mostly because of cost or availability.
Researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have published survey data on how Americans use GLP-1 medications. The peptide-based drugs are widely used for diabetes and weight loss, and increasingly for related chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and obstructive sleep apnea. The latest figures suggest millions of people are using unapproved versions and taking the drugs in ways doctors did not intend, which raises questions about safety and effectiveness in real-world use.
The study appeared in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. It draws on a survey conducted in July and August 2025 that included more than 8,000 US adults. From the responses, the researchers estimate that 9.8 percent of US adults used a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, or GLP-1 drug, in 2025. That equals about 27 million people.
Use differs from prescriptions
Nearly half of users, 44 percent, said they took their medication in a way that differed from the prescription. Some skipped doses, delayed refills or used smaller doses than prescribed. More than half of those who changed how they used the drug cited cost or availability as the reason.
Cost and access barriers were most common among younger users. Among adults aged 14–39 who changed their use, 58 percent named cost as a barrier, compared with 20 percent of those aged 65 or older.
Compounded versions
Changed use was especially common among people taking compounded versions of GLP-1 drugs. At least 23 percent of all GLP-1 users took a compounded version, and another 9 percent did not know whether theirs was compounded.
