GLP-1 Masterclass Series

The GLP-1 Masterclass is a multi-episode conversation series examining how GLP-1 therapies are rewriting cardiovascular and metabolic medicine. Featuring internationally recognized experts, the series explores the clinical evidence, controversies, patient realities, and future implications of therapies that are changing how we think about obesity, diabetes, heart disease , kidney health and prevention.

Episode 1 - Stop GLP-1s…Then What? | The Truth About Weight Gain.

In Episode 1 of The GLP-1 MasterClass, Dr. Subodh Verma is joined by endocrinologist Dr. Jennifer Green to explore one of the most important and misunderstood questions in obesity and cardiometabolic medicine: what happens after discontinuing GLP-1 therapy?

Together, they discuss:

• why hunger and “food noise” often return after stopping treatment

• how GLP-1 therapies work within the brain and metabolic system • why weight regain is biologically driven, not a failure of willpower

• how cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors may gradually return after discontinuation

• why obesity is increasingly understood as a chronic biologically regulated disease

• why GLP-1 therapies may need to be approached as long-term disease management tools

• the emotional experience many patients feel when weight returns

• how GLP-1 therapies are reshaping cardiovascular prevention medicine

• muscle mass, muscle strength, resistance training, and preserving health during weight loss

• why reducing stigma around obesity remains critically important

This conversation is part of The GLP-1 MasterClass — a 10-part series from The Six Health exploring the future of cardiometabolic medicine, obesity, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, kidney health, and prevention science.

GUEST EXPERT

Jennifer B. Green, MD, Endocrinologist Professor of Medicine Duke University Medical Center, Division of Endocrinology Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina

References

1. Wilding JPH, et al. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. N Engl J Med. 2021.

2. Rubino D, et al. Effect of Continued Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Placebo on Weight Loss Maintenance in Adults With Overweight or Obesity: The STEP 4 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2021.

3. Wilding JPH, et al. Weight Regain and Cardiometabolic Effects After Withdrawal of Semaglutide: The STEP 1 Trial Extension. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2022.

4. SELECT Trial Investigators. Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity Without Diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2023.

5. WHO Guideline on GLP-1 Therapies for Obesity in Adults. JAMA. 2025.

This content is intended for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered personal medical advice. Please consult your physician or qualified healthcare provider regarding your individual health needs.

What Matters Most

This episode reminds us that GLP-1 therapies are not simply about weight loss. They are part of a much larger shift in how we understand obesity, cardiovascular risk, and long-term prevention. The deeper message is that chronic conditions require chronic thinking and that better understanding can lead to better care.