A study has found that prescribing semaglutide in everyday clinical settings led to modest but meaningful improvements in cardiovascular risk alongside a rise in non-drug healthcare costs.

The study, published Aug. 8 in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from more than 23,500 adults across Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health System and Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare. Researchers reported average reductions in body weight, blood pressure, total cholesterol and hemoglobin A1c.

However, the benefits were smaller than those observed in a Step 1 clinical trial, which saw weight reductions near 15% at 12 months. Researchers attributed the discrepancy to factors such as adherence, with only 57.6% of patients maintaining active prescriptions past one year.

The study also found that healthcare spending rose significantly within 24 months of initiating treatment, with an average increase of $80 per patient per month, excluding the cost of semaglutide itself. The main uptick came from inpatient care and diagnoses related to circulatory or metabolic conditions, according to the study.