Inside the rise of weight-loss jab deaths – as analysis reveals why middle-aged users of GLP-1s could be most at risk

Midlife Britons may face a greater risk of life-threatening complications from weight-loss drugs, a startling new analysis suggests.

Figures obtained by the Daily Mail reveal that more than four times as many deaths linked to the drugs have been reported among people in their 60s than among those in their 40s.

Yet Britons in their 40s are roughly three-and-a-half times more likely to be prescribed the medications.

The findings raise fresh questions about whether older patients may be more vulnerable to potentially serious side effects from the hugely popular treatments, which include Mounjaro and Wegovy.

The data come from reports submitted to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) through its Yellow Card scheme, which tracks suspected side effects of medicines.

A total of 311 deaths have now been reported in connection with drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists – a 44 per cent increase from 216 in August.

The reports do not establish that the drugs caused the deaths, only that patients, relatives or healthcare professionals suspected they may have played a role.

But when the Daily Mail examined the figures by age, a striking pattern emerged, with far more deaths reported among people in their 60s than younger adults. The figures also reveal that one individual aged between ten and 19 was among those reported to have died after taking the medication.

The findings come amid growing scrutiny of the safety of weight-loss drugs and calls for tighter controls on their use.

Earlier this week, US health officials announced new warnings for Ozempic and other diabetes and weight-loss injections, including Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, over a rare condition that can cause sudden and permanent sight loss.

The move by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) follows similar warnings issued by British regulators in February and European authorities last year. 

The new findings will no doubt be of concern to the 2.5 million Britons estimated to be currently taking the jabs, known medically as GLP-1 agonists. 

While around 200,000 people have been prescribed the drugs on the NHS, the vast majority of users pay for the drugs privately. 

According to data from The Health Foundation and Click2Pharmacy, which sells the medications, 30- to 49-year-olds make up around 57 per cent of private GLP-1 prescriptions. 

Yet MHRA data shows this age group accounts for just 12 per cent of deaths linked to the drugs. 

Midlife Britons between 50 and 69, meanwhile, make up 32.4 per cent – or just under a third – of all private GLP-1 prescriptions. 

Yet they account for nearly half of all deaths linked to the drugs. The same trend occurs for older adults, data shows.  

Prescriptions drop off for adults over the age of 69 – who make up a mere 1.5 per cent of all Britons on GLP-1 drugs. 

Yet this age group accounts for a disproportionate 15 per cent of overall deaths – with 38 people aged 70-79 passing away for reasons linked to the jabs, as well as nine people in their 80s. 

In comparison, a total of 20 adults aged 30-39 died of causes linked to the jabs, while another 20 deaths of people aged 40-49 were recorded.

Of adults in their 50s, 62 deaths were recorded and 88 deaths occurred in adults in their 60s.

For the vast majority of people taking GLP-1 drugs, the medications will not cause serious problems – and studies suggest they may offer benefits beyond weight loss, including protection against diabetes and potentially dementia and some cancers.

But the drugs have also been linked to potentially deadly complications.

These include severe dehydration and imbalances in the body’s essential minerals, which can trigger abnormal heart rhythms and even cardiac arrest, as well as liver injury and severe flu-like symptoms.

Earlier this year, a 19-year-old student died in London after developing an abnormal heart rhythm caused by low blood sugar, which a coroner concluded was likely triggered by tirzepatide – the drug found in Mounjaro.

Other serious complications linked to the drugs include gallbladder disease and acute pancreatitis – a potentially life-threatening condition in which the pancreas suddenly becomes inflamed, sometimes leading to organ failure.

Studies suggest that middle-aged and older adults are more likely to report these problems while taking the drugs.

One possible explanation is that older patients are more likely to have several long-term health conditions and take multiple medications, potentially increasing their risk of complications.

Pancreatitis can also be harder to recognise in older patients, who may experience less obvious symptoms, such as confusion, fatigue or mild abdominal discomfort, rather than the severe stomach pain more commonly associated with the condition.

As a result, the illness may be more advanced by the time it is diagnosed.

Experts say these findings may partly reflect the fact that older adults are generally more likely to have serious underlying health problems.

‘People in older age groups have a higher chance of dying anyway,’ says Dr Alex Miras, senior clinical lecturer and consultant endocrinologist at Imperial College London.

‘They’re more likely to be sick, or have more severe health conditions than adults in their 40s and 50s – such as advanced diabetes or liver or heart disease that have progressed over years.

‘These conditions themselves increase the risk of serious illness and premature death.

‘Older adults are also more likely to be on other medications that may interfere with the GLP-1 agonists, or that independently raise the risk of certain conditions.’

There are separate concerns about the effects of rapid weight loss on older patients, particularly the loss of muscle and bone.

While GLP-1 drugs are highly effective at helping people shed excess fat, studies show that some of the weight lost is muscle.

This is a particular concern for older people, who naturally lose muscle mass and bone strength as they age.

Losing more muscle can leave them weaker and less mobile, increasing the risk of falls, while weakened bones make fractures more likely.

A 2017 study found that adults aged 45 to 76 who followed a weight-loss programme over more than a decade had a 39 per cent higher risk of fractures affecting the hip, shoulder, upper arm and pelvis.

However, experts stress that there is currently no convincing evidence that weight-loss drugs are inherently more dangerous for older patients.

‘The real world evidence is not yet giving us a signal that the medications don’t work for this age group, or that they cause problems,’ says Dr Miras.

‘But when we use these drugs in people who are older, we need to think very carefully about what we are trying to achieve, and whether the benefits outweigh the potential risks.’

Doctors also point out that many of the millions of people now taking the drugs already have serious health conditions that put them at greater risk of illness or death, regardless of their treatment.

Speaking previously to the Mail, Dr Naveed Sattar, professor of cardiometabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow, said: ‘When millions of individuals at higher risk take a medicine, some will inevitably experience major health events or die when on treatment, regardless of whether the medicine played any role.

‘We do also know that because some individuals get these medicines privately those people won’t all necessarily have significant health conditions unlike those that get the medicines via the NHS – it’s important all those people report any problems to their doctors.’

Regulators have also sought to reassure patients that serious side effects remain rare and that the drugs offer significant benefits for most people.

Alison Cave, the MHRA’s chief safety officer, said: ‘For the vast majority of patients who are prescribed GLP-1s, they are safe and effective medicines which deliver significant health benefits.

‘The risk of developing these severe side effects is very small, but it is important that patients and healthcare professionals are aware and alert to the associated symptoms.’