Impact of Semaglutide Withdrawal on Cardiometabolic Profile and Physiology of Energy Balance: Recovery Effects After Semaglutide Termination
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Gradual dose reduction of semaglutide, Abrupt cessation of semaglutide.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Obesity (Disorder), Weight Change, Blood Pressure Monitoring, Appetite Regulation. Basic parameters: 18 years — 75 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Canada
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Impact of Semaglutide Withdrawal on Cardiometabolic Profile and Physiology of Energy Balance: a Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Gradual Dose Reduction With Immediate Treatment Cessation.
Overview
Semaglutide is a medication from the class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists that promote weight loss. There is little clinical data on the best strategy to achieve weight maintenance following weight reduction induced by semaglutide. For people who need to discontinue treatment, it is unknown whether the weight regain, its accompanied health benefits could be ameliorated with a gradual reduction in semaglutide. The investigators will study if a gradual reduction of semaglutide is associated with different heart risk profile and hormones involved in energy regulation as compared to immediate treatment cessation.
Detailed description
It is known that semaglutide induces a supra-physiologic agonism of GLP-1 receptors on central nervous system receptors associated with hedonic eating which likely promotes a homeostatic response (i.e. adaptation) related to appetite control. This concept raises the question of whether a gradual de-escalation of GLP-1RA could ameliorate the tendency for weight regain/cardiometabolic deterioration and compensatory changes in energy balance regulation following cessation of treatment.Thus, the investigators propose an open-label, parallel-arm, randomized controlled trial to determine whether a gradual dose reduction in semaglutide prior to complete discontinuation is associated with differential changes in weight and cardiometabolic profile (blood pressure homeostasis and energy balance regulatory hormones) as compared to immediate treatment cessation in individuals living with obesity without pre-existing cardiovascular disease who are receiving semaglutide for weight management.
Interventions
- Drug Gradual dose reduction of semaglutide
Pparticipants will reduce semaglutide dosage by 25% every 4-weeks until complete treatment cessation at week 16 - Drug Abrupt cessation of semaglutide
Cessation of semaglutide at 16-weeks
Primary outcome measures
- Differences in changes in body weight between each study group [Time frame: 32 weeks]
Secondary outcome measures (2)
- Differences in 24-h systolic BP levels between each study group [Time frame: 32 weeks]
- Differences in fasting ghrelin between each study group [Time frame: 32 weeks]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Men and women with previously diagnosed BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 or BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2 and adiposity-related complications (such as osteoarthritis, nonalcoholic liver disease, sleep apnea, and hypertension) without preexisting cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes.
- Age 18 - 75 years inclusive
- Ongoing weight-loss treatment consisting of weekly subcutaneous semaglutide at minimum dose of 1 mg/weekly with documented weight reduction of at least 10% of pre-treatment body weight
- Stable weight over past 12 weeks (less than 5% change in body weight) (self-reported)
- Ability to read and understand English
Exclusion criteria
- Previously diagnosed cardiovascular disease defined as previous myocardial infarction, previous stroke, or symptomatic peripheral arterial disease.
- Currently pregnant or lactating
- Previously diagnosed type 2 diabetes
- Use of any other pharmacological treatment for weight-loss
- Previous surgical treatment for weight loss such as gastric bypass or gastric band
- Any history of eating disorder
- Renal dysfunction as evidenced by estimated glomerular filtration rate < 25 ml/min by CKD-EPI Creatinine Equation
- New York Heart Association class II-IV heart failure
- Hepatic disease considered to be clinically significant (includes jaundice, chronic hepatitis, or previous liver transplant) or transaminases >2.5X the upper limit of normal
- Malignant neoplasm requiring chemotherapy, surgery, radiation or palliative therapy within the previous 5 years (with the exception of basal cell skin cancer)
- Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2
- Any other factor likely to limit adherence to the study, in the opinion of the investigators
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Canada · 1 center
- Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes — Toronto
Publications
- Yevusiak T, Weisman A, Retnakaran R, Wharton S, Drucker DJ, Kramer CK. Impact of semaglutide withdrawal on cardiometabolic profile and physiology of energy balance: Recovery effects after semaglutide termination - The REST trial study protocol. PLoS One. 2026 Jul 27;21(7):e0354237. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0354237. eCollection 2026. PMID 42507673
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07294950 · REB#1360