Public Interest in the Off-Label Use of Glucagon-like Peptide 1 Agonists (Ozempic) for Cosmetic Weight Loss: A Google Trends Analysis.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional infodemiology study analyzing search engine query trends.
PubMed 37402640 · doi:10.1093/asj/sjad211
What was done
The authors used Google Trends to evaluate US relative search volume (RSV) for the term "Ozempic" over a 5-year period (March 2018 to February 2023). They analyzed RSV growth using simple linear regression and used one-way ANOVA to compare search popularity among "Ozempic," "Wegovy," and "Mounjaro" from June 2021 onward.
What was found
Search interest in "Ozempic" grew exponentially from March 2018 to February 2023 (R² = 0.915, regression coefficient = 0.957, P < .001). When compared with "Wegovy" and "Mounjaro" after June 2021, "Ozempic" maintained the highest RSV, with statistically significant differences among the three terms at all evaluated time points between December 2021 and February 2023 (P < .001).
Why it matters
Surging public interest in GLP-1 receptor agonists highlights the widespread cultural awareness of these drugs for weight loss, prompting aesthetic and plastic surgery practitioners to recognize potential downstream clinical impacts.
Limits
Google Trends provides relative search volume rather than absolute search counts or demographic data. Search queries reflect online curiosity or media exposure and do not directly measure actual clinical prescriptions, off-label usage, patient adherence, or clinical safety outcomes.
Cited by
- context Ozempic and Wegovy received FDA approval for weight loss around late 2021 and 2022.