GLP-1 use among adults with diabetes statistics in the U.S.

What the national use statistic can tell you

CDC's National Center for Health Statistics found that 26.5% of civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. adults with diagnosed diabetes used an injectable GLP-1 medicine other than insulin in 2024. The estimate equals about 6.9 million adults. Put simply, about one in four adults with diagnosed diabetes reported current use, while nearly three in four did not. That remaining group cannot be treated as a list of people who missed out. Some may have type 1 diabetes, use insulin or another medicine, have a reason not to use a GLP-1, face an access barrier, or have different treatment goals. The survey named Ozempic, Wegovy, Trulicity, Mounjaro, Victoza, Saxenda, and Byetta, but did not report the brand, diagnosis, prescription reason, or insurance type for each participant. The newest survey is broad, while the best national type 2 diabetes trend uses a different survey and a different population. Among adults receiving treatment for type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 use rose from 7.6% in 2018 to 19.4% in 2022. Those figures show substantial growth, but they should not be drawn as one seamless trend with the 2024 estimate because the definitions differ.

Who reported using injectable GLP-1 medicines

Reported use was 27.2% among women and 25.9% among men in the 2024 survey. By age, it rose from 25.3% at ages 18 to 34 to 29.7% at 35 to 49 and 33.3% at 50 to 64, then fell to 20.8% at age 65 or older. The lower estimate in older adults may reflect health conditions, medication burden, coverage, clinician decisions, or other factors. The survey cannot tell which explanation applies. Use also increased across body mass index, or BMI, categories. It was 16.7% among adults in the healthy-weight category, 22.2% among adults with overweight, and 32.4% among adults with obesity. BMI is weight in relation to height. This pattern fits medicines that can address glucose and, for certain products and uses, chronic weight management, but BMI alone does not establish whether a medicine is appropriate. Reported rates differed across racial and ethnic groups: 31.3% among Hispanic adults, 26.5% among non-Hispanic Black adults, 26.2% among non-Hispanic White adults, and 12.1% among non-Hispanic Asian adults. These are use differences, not evidence of different biological response. They should not be used to infer who will benefit from or tolerate a medicine.

Approval and safety questions to settle first

FDA labels for Ozempic and Mounjaro include improving blood-glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Ozempic also has cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease risk-reduction language for specified adults with type 2 diabetes. These labels are not approvals for type 1 diabetes. A person with type 1 diabetes should discuss their own situation with their diabetes clinician rather than applying a broad population statistic. The labels for Ozempic and Mounjaro have boxed warnings about thyroid C-cell tumors seen in rats. They are contraindicated for people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2. Other label risks include severe gastrointestinal reactions, pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, dehydration-related kidney injury, and diabetic retinopathy considerations. A full medicine review matters when appetite, food intake, or glucose readings change. That is particularly important for people also using insulin or a sulfonylurea because low blood sugar risk can change when medicines are used together. Tell the care team about upcoming procedures involving general anesthesia or deep sedation, since labels include aspiration-risk information.

What trial results may mean for weight and A1c

SURPASS-2 directly compared weekly tirzepatide with weekly semaglutide 1 mg in 1,879 adults whose type 2 diabetes was not adequately controlled with metformin alone. Over 40 weeks, average A1c fell by 2.01 to 2.30 percentage points with tirzepatide, depending on dose, and by 1.86 percentage points with semaglutide 1 mg. A1c, also called HbA1c, is a blood test that reflects average glucose over roughly two to three months. Average weight loss was 7.6 kg, 9.3 kg, and 11.2 kg with tirzepatide, compared with 5.7 kg with semaglutide 1 mg. That is about 17 to 25 pounds versus about 13 pounds over 40 weeks. It is a useful comparison for people familiar with Ozempic, but it is not a promise. Starting weight, dose, food intake, activity, other medicines, side effects, and whether treatment continues all affect an individual's result. Nausea occurred in 17% to 22% of the tirzepatide groups and 18% of the semaglutide group. Diarrhea occurred in 13% to 16% and 12%, while vomiting occurred in 6% to 10% and 8%. Trial participants received structured follow-up, so a routine plan for side effects, refills, and questions still matters outside a trial.

Coverage can decide whether treatment starts

A prescription is not the same as a filled prescription. In a Colorado health-system study of 9,848 GLP-1 orders among commercially insured people or Medicare beneficiaries, 60.1% were filled within 90 days. Fill rates were 64.6% for people with both diabetes and obesity, 47.5% for diabetes alone, and 37.2% for obesity alone. The study cannot prove why each order went unfilled. Prior authorization, deductibles, copays, an excluded use, pharmacy availability, side effects, personal preference, and a choice to use another treatment can all matter. Before depending on a prescription, ask the insurer or pharmacist what the covered cost is for the exact medicine, strength, quantity, and pharmacy today, and whether authorization must be renewed. Price figures answer different questions. MEPS estimated average annual total GLP-1 expenditure of $6,684 per user with type 2 diabetes in 2022. That is not what a person necessarily paid. In the Colorado study, mean out-of-pocket cost was $71.90 per filled 30-day order in 2023 dollars, also not a national average.

Medicare access has a narrow new route

CMS launched the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge demonstration on July 1, 2026. Through December 31, 2027, certain eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries can obtain specified GLP-1 medicines for weight management with a $50 copay. The demonstration operates outside normal Part D payment flow. For a person using a GLP-1 for type 2 diabetes, the distinction matters. CMS states that a Bridge prior-authorization request based on type 2 diabetes will be denied. Someone whose Part D plan covers a medicine for a diabetes use should work through their regular plan, including its formulary and utilization rules. Manufacturer savings programs can reduce cost for some commercially insured people, but they are not permanent coverage and generally exclude government beneficiaries. Do not assume a coupon will remain available at the next refill. Ask about the insurer's preferred medicine, renewal dates, and the safe backup plan if a fill is delayed.

Maintenance and interruptions need a plan

Stopping can have consequences beyond an immediate change on the scale. In SURMOUNT-4, adults with overweight or obesity without diabetes who stopped tirzepatide after initial weight loss regained an average of 14.0% of body weight from week 36 to week 88. People who continued lost a further 5.5% over that period. That was not a type 2 diabetes trial, so it cannot forecast exactly what will happen for a person with diabetes. It does show why a coverage loss, supply gap, or decision to stop deserves a conversation before the medicine runs out. Glucose monitoring, other diabetes medicines, symptoms, and treatment goals may need review. Keep a compact record of medicine name, strength, last fill date, glucose readings if you take them, recent A1c and date, weight trend if relevant, side effects, other glucose medicines, and insurance notices. Lina is a GLP-1 companion app for people using Wegovy, Mounjaro, Ozempic, Zepbound, Saxenda, and related medications. It helps users track doses, side effects, meals, weight, protein, hydration, and habits in one place. It is not a medical device or a substitute for medical advice.

Questions for a clinician or pharmacist

Bring questions that connect the medicine to your actual health history and coverage. Useful questions include: What is the FDA-approved reason for this medicine in my case? Do my eye, gallbladder, pancreas, kidney, or stomach symptoms change the discussion? Should other glucose medicines be reviewed if my eating pattern changes? Also ask what symptoms should prompt a same-day call, urgent care, or emergency evaluation. Ask what the plan covers now, what it will require at renewal, and what to do if the pharmacy cannot fill the medicine. A clear answer before an interruption is safer than trying to solve it after the last dose is gone.