Women approaching menopause drive GLP-1 boom
Why it matters: This is another cultural moment when women, especially those approaching menopause, are paying more for their well-being.
Between the lines: GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro are usually covered by insurance when used to treat Type 2 diabetes — but many doctors also prescribe them off-label for overweight and obesity, which often isn't covered.
By the numbers: Women have been prescribed GLP-1 drugs at higher rates than men since 2021, according to 2024 data from FAIR Health.
The fine print: The data reflects insured adults who received medical care nationally, but doesn't include people buying non-FDA-approved versions of the drugs from compounding pharmacies.
Zoom in: 18.6% of women prescribed GLP-1 drugs received them for weight loss (and not diabetes) — double the rate of men, at 9.3% — according to FAIR Health.
Women between 40 and 64 have been the top recipients of GLP-1 prescriptions since 2019. For men, the top users in most years have been seniors.
What we're hearing:"In my experience, thus far, it's been entirely women" — many of them approaching menopause — who ask to be on GLP-1 drugs to lose weight, says family physician Beth Oller, who practices in rural Kansas.
At a certain age, "the things you used to do for weight loss aren't cutting it anymore," says Oller, who's 45 and tells Axios she has firsthand experience with this.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
17 minutes ago
- CNBC
Meta shares fall on AI restructuring report, while Lilly shrugs off Novo's Ozempic price move
Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street. Markets: Stocks aren't moving much Monday as Wall Street waits on retail earnings and a speech from Fed Chair Jay Powell later in the week. Monday's session lacks clear themes, but Meta Platforms stands out as a laggard after a report from The Information said the longtime Club holding is planning the fourth restructuring of its AI team in six months. The story is raising questions in light of Meta's significant investment in recruiting AI talent from other tech companies. Novo price cut : Shares of Club name Eli Lilly are relatively unchanged despite chief rival Novo Nordisk lowering prices for its popular GLP-1 medication. Novo Nordisk announced on Monday that it has cut the price of Ozempic, its popular GLP-1 for Type 2 diabetes, to $499 per month for cash-paying patients that use its NovoCare direct-to-patient program. Novo also announced that it has partnered with GoodRx to offer the same price for Ozempic and the weight-loss drug Wegovy at U.S. pharmacies. While the news may spark concerns that a price war is heating up in a battle for market share, we don't see this specific Ozempic development advancing that narrative. The main reason why is that the cash-pay market for GLP-1s to treat Type 2 diabetes is not as important as it is for their obesity counterparts. It all comes down to insurance coverage, which is much higher for these medications for diabetes than weight loss. Indeed, Lilly does not offer Type 2 diabetes treatment Mounjaro on its LillyDirect platform, while sister drug Zepbound for obesity is on there. Lilly executives were asked about this on the company's August earnings call, and the president of Lilly USA, Ilya Yuffa, had this to say: "With Mounjaro, we have significant coverage. So, over 90% coverage in both commercial as well as [Medicare] Part D. And so, we're not sure if [adding Mounjaro to LillyDirect] necessarily provides additional avenue. With Zepbound, we see significant growth because we do have coverage gaps in commercial. And obviously, we also have coverage gaps without having the ability to cover anti-obesity medications in Part D. So, we see this as an opportunity for us to meet that need. For what it's worth, we still like where Lilly sits in the obesity side of the GLP-1 market. Back in February, Eli Lilly announced that self-pay patients could get Zepbound single dose vials for $499 per month through its LillyDirect platform. That's on par with the price for Wegovy on NovoCare. Since head-to-head studies have found Lilly's Zepbound to be superior to Novo Nordisk's Wegovy on weight loss, patients should continue to prefer Lilly's GLP-1s. We initially downgraded our rating on Eli Lilly after its earnings a few weeks ago, partly due to concerns about a potential price war. However, we reversed course and upgraded the stock back to a buy-equivalent 1 following signs of confidence driven by significant insider buying activity. Nuclear win : Alphabet's Google and the nuclear energy company Kairos Power announced on Monday the deployment of an advanced nuclear plant to the grid. Per the agreement, a reactor operated by Kairos Power will deliver up to 50 megawatts of reliable, 24/7 energy to the Tennessee Valley Authority electric grid that powers Google data centers in Tennessee and Alabama. The electricity will come from Kairos' Hermes 2 plant, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2030. The collaboration underscores how hyperscalers are creating new partnerships with nuclear energy providers to secure, around-the-clock power supply toward the end of the decade. Unlike gas-fired electricity, nuclear power offers tech giants like Alphabet a way to run their data centers on clean energy while advancing their decarbonization goals. While Club name GE Vernova is probably best known for its heavy-duty gas turbines , the power generation company also makes small modular reactors that have gained in popularity, so nuclear developments are important to follow closely. Up next: Palo Alto Networks reports after the closing bell , the first of three Club stocks with earnings this week. Before the opening bell on Tuesday, we'll see earnings from Club name Home Depot , Medtronic , and Viking Holdings . On the data side, we'll see July housing starts and building permits, but we'll take are cue on the housing sector from what Home Depot management says on the earnings call. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
‘Ozempic vulva' is making women look aged and droopy down there
They dropped — and then they drooped. Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs have become extremely popular for their ability to manage Type 2 diabetes symptoms and spur weight loss. A recent study found that about 4% of Americans took these meds last year. As GLP-1s have become widely used, there's been a corresponding increase in awareness of their potential risks and side effects. Add another one to the list — 'Ozempic vulva' or 'Ozempic vagina.' Advertisement 3 Some GLP-1 users have complained that their weight loss has led to 'Ozempic vulva,' a decrease in the volume of their labia majora. alones – '[The rapidity of] weight loss can cause visible skin sagging, laxity and wrinkles throughout the body,' Dr. Sherry Ross, an OB-GYN in Santa Monica, CA, and author of 'She-ology' and 'She-ology, the She-quel,' told HealthCentral. 'All areas of the body can show visible skin changes in response to this significant weight loss,' she added, 'including the lower belly, pubic mons and inner and outer labia.' Advertisement The vagina is surrounded by two sets of 'lips' or folds of skin. The labia majora are the outer, larger folds, while the labia minora are the inner, smaller folds. They extend from the mons pubis, the rounded, fatty area over the pubic bone. 3 A recent study found that about 4% of Americans took Ozempic or GLP-1 drugs last year. Ole – Some GLP-1 users have complained that their weight loss has led to a decrease in the volume of their labia majora, causing it to appear deflated or aged. Advertisement Labia puffing may help. The procedure restores volume and fullness to the labia majora via dermal fillers or fat grafting. Dr. Michael Tahery, a board-certified OB/GYN in LA, notes on his website that the fillers used in labia puffing are comparable to facial fillers. The tiny injections can last up to eight months a session and don't require recovery time. With fat grafts, a doctor injects a small amount of fat from the patient's thigh, abdomen or elsewhere in their body into the labia. Advertisement 'The benefit of this treatment is that it does not pose risks for rejection because it uses the patient's own fat,' Tahery wrote. 'The fat is easily reabsorbed by the body over time.' Labiaplasty to reshape the labia and vaginal tightening to restore firmness to the vaginal canal may also provide relief. 3 Women are getting 'labia puff' surgery for more 'youthful,' voluminous vulvas. Svetlana – Dr. Justin Perron, a specialist plastic surgeon in Australia, said he's fielded a surge in vaginal rejuvenation consultation appointments as GLP-1 drugs have grown in popularity. 'I personally see these requests several times a week,' Perron told The Daily Mail. Other unusual side effects of GLP-1 drugs, which suppress appetite by mimicking a hormone the body naturally produces after eating, include Ozempic finger, Ozempic breasts, Ozempic face and Ozempic butt. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are among the more common consequences of these meds.
Epoch Times
an hour ago
- Epoch Times
FDA Approves Weight Loss Drug Wegovy for Liver Disease
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a weight loss drug called Wegovy for a liver disease, the agency announced on Aug. 18. Wegovy is now approved for treatment of noncirrhotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a serious liver disease that impacts approximately 6 percent of American adults, the FDA said in a statement.
