Veterans prescribed semaglutide in a weight management clinic at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado, lost an average of 10% of their body weight after one year, and they also posted measurable gains in blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and quality of life. The study tracked 201 veterans and was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
The findings matter because this is the first study to look at semaglutide inside a Department of Veterans Affairs weight management program, rather than in a pharmaceutical company trial. That distinction gives the results more real-world weight for the united states department of veterans affairs, which has data showing roughly 40% of veterans enrolled in VA health care are obese, with the highest rates among post-9/11 veterans.
Researchers said the drug was linked to improvements in body mass index, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, along with lower blood pressure and blood sugar. In a system where obesity raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and joint deterioration, that kind of change can alter the course of care for veterans who have struggled to lose weight with standard treatment alone.
The study also fits into a broader shift in VA practice. A larger medication use evaluation across 37 VA medical centers found semaglutide was among the most frequently prescribed weight management drugs in the VA system, and veterans who paired medication with the VA’s Move! behavioral weight management program had higher rates of clinically significant weight loss than those who used medication alone.
That momentum is being reinforced by other VA research. Earlier this year, a separate VA St. Louis study of 606,000 veterans found GLP-1 drugs reduced the risk of developing substance use disorders across every major addictive substance, including alcohol, opioids, nicotine, cocaine and cannabis, and it also found a 25% reduction in suicidal ideation among veterans taking the medications. Another study from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, using VA data from 21,790 veterans, found liraglutide, semaglutide and dulaglutide were comparably safe on cardiovascular and kidney outcomes.
For the VA, the question is no longer whether these drugs can work in a controlled setting. The new data show they are working in ordinary clinical practice, under VA protocols, with veterans who need sustained weight loss and the health benefits that come with it.