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CDC survey: about 1 in 10 U.S. adults used GLP-1 drugs in 2025
A CDC MMWR survey of 8,118 U.S. adults in July–August 2025 estimated 9.8% used a GLP-1 in the past year; 22.6% of users reported compounded versions and 44% said they modified use.
- New headline Was: “Millions in US use unapproved GLP-1s—and use them in unapproved ways”
- Our desk filed its story
About one in 10 U.S. adults used a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist in the past year, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey published in the Nov. 12, 2026, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Ars Technica summarized the findings Friday1.
CDC used Rapid Surveys System responses collected in July and August 2025 from 8,118 U.S. adults aged 18 or older. Researchers estimated 9.8% of adults (95% CI 9.0–10.7) had taken a GLP-1 in the prior 12 months.
Among users, 44% reported using the medication differently than prescribed, most often by skipping doses (28%). Among those who modified use, 38% cited cost and 36% cited availability. Cost was cited by 58% of modifiers ages 18 to 39, compared with 20% of those 65 or older.
CDC estimated 22.6% of GLP-1 users reported a compounded version, and another 8.8% did not know whether theirs was compounded. Modified use was more common with compounded products: 62% versus 36% among people not taking compounded versions.
The report said compounded GLP-1s are not reviewed by FDA for safety, effectiveness, or quality before they are marketed. CDC also cited a JAMA Health Forum assessment of websites selling compounded GLP-1s that found about 40% stated or implied the drugs were FDA-approved and about 80% used brand names in advertising.
CDC authors said better understanding of real-world use, including compounded products and dose and frequency changes, is important because it might have implications for safety and effectiveness.
Not medical advice.
