GLP-1 Use Has More Than Quadrupled Since 2021 as Obesity Rates Continue to Show Signs of Decline
Two new data trackers from Epic Research now provide quarterly snapshots of GLP-1 use and BMI distribution in the U.S. adult population.
Two new data trackers from Epic Research now provide quarterly snapshots of GLP-1 use and BMI distribution in the U.S. adult population.
ExpandMost patients who lost weight before hip or knee replacement had a higher likelihood of surgical site infection and mechanical failure than patients in the same starting BMI class whose weight remained stable. For infection, the likelihood increased with each level of loss, reaching more than six times as likely among overweight patients who lost 20% or more before knee replacement.
ExpandPatients who received a short-term opioid prescription within seven days of a hip replacement surgery had a slightly higher proportion of top-tier functional scores at three months (69.8%) compared to those who did not receive opioids (59.3%).
ExpandThe proportion of primary care encounters with low-dose aspirin on the medication list fell by more than half, from a peak of 7.4% in mid-2018 to 3.2% by the end of 2025, among patients without a history that warrants low-dose aspirin for secondary prevention. The decline was observed across all demographic subgroups. Adults aged 80+ still had the highest prevalence at 5.7%.
ExpandPatients prescribed multiple doses per day of ACE inhibitors, ARBs, or calcium channel blockers were less likely to achieve blood pressure control compared to those prescribed once-daily regimens of the same medication classes.
ExpandIn January 2017, 30.0% of RSV encounters resulted in a hospitalization or ICU admission. By January 2026, that share had fallen to 15.6%, while the proportion managed in emergency departments grew from 29.4% to 45.0%. The share handled in office visits remained stable at around 40%.
ExpandPatients who received the at-home nasal influenza vaccine in the 2025/2026 influenza season had a 37.4% lower likelihood of post-vaccination influenza infection compared to those who received the same nasal vaccine in a clinic, after accounting for other factors.
ExpandAmong adults with type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis risk was lower for patients prescribed a GLP-1 than for patients who were not prescribed a GLP-1, when compared to a baseline of stable-weight patients who were not prescribed a GLP-1.
ExpandThe 12-month average rate of emergency department (ED) visits for overdoses of all types declined from a peak of 946 per 100,000 ED visits in March 2021 to 634 per 100,000 ED visits in November 2025, falling below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. Testing for fentanyl in these encounters more than quadrupled over this period, from 5% of encounters to 28% of encounters.
ExpandPeak influenza visit rates for children were up to 90% higher in 2025 than the 2023–24 season. Adults aged 65 and older saw a 56% increase in peak influenza visit rates compared to the 2023–24 season, while rates for adults aged 50–64 remained essentially unchanged.
ExpandAmong adults aged 45 to 64 who were diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), those with a non-obese BMI (below 30) were skewed just below the obese BMI threshold with more than 80% having an overweight BMI (25.0–29.9).
ExpandTelehealth use in primary care decreased from pandemic-era highs through mid-2023 and has remained relatively stable at around 6 to 7% of encounters since then.
ExpandProstate cancer screening rates have increased for men aged 45 and older since 2021, with the most pronounced increase seen in men aged 55–64 rising by nearly 50% from Q1 2021 to Q4 2025.
ExpandCHF exacerbations were 40–60% more likely for patients who had their diuretic frequency increased compared to those who had their diuretic dosage increased.
ExpandAfter starting antihypertensive therapy, patients with a high proportion of telehealth encounters (50–74% of outpatient visits) had systolic blood pressure levels comparable to those with entirely in-person care throughout the first 12 weeks.
ExpandMale patients aged 10 to 15 who had an ED visit for a motor vehicle crash (MVC) were as much as four times as likely to experience a subsequent firearm injury compared with those whose ED visit was for a fall, in some parts of the United States.
ExpandInfants 5 to 8 weeks old with a low body temperature were 42% to 53% more likely to have a bacterial infection compared to infants of the same age with a normal temperature.
ExpandWomen who were prescribed progestin-only birth control were less likely to be diagnosed with migraines compared to those not using hormonal contraception.
ExpandAmong patients with type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 use was associated with a 32% lower fracture risk for those with either osteopenia or osteoporosis.
ExpandAcross all lipid-lowering drug classes, men had a 4.5-percentage point greater reduction in LDL than women.