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With new agreements from President Donald Trump promising lower prices on popular weight-loss drugs, the use of GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro could soon surge even higher — a trend already spreading unevenly across the U.S., with some states seeing greater uptick than others.

Based on insurance claims data from Purple Lab, a Pennsylvania health analytics company, a 2024 report published by GLP-1 Newsroom broke down the estimated number of weight-loss and diabetes drug prescriptions per state.

The prescription records came from both commercial and government insurers, and they don’t include people who paid cash, used telehealth providers, used compounded versions or were uninsured — which means the actual numbers are likely higher.

WHY MICRODOSING OZEMPIC COULD BECOME AS COMMON AS TAKING A MULTIVITAMIN

The report identified the following states where more than 15% of the state’s population received GLP-1 prescriptions for weight loss or diabetes control. 

Take a look at the list below.

• West Virginia – 24%
• Kentucky – 22%
• Louisiana – 20%
• Oklahoma – 20%
• Alabama – 19%
• Mississippi – 19%
• North Dakota – 18%
• Alaska – 17%
• Arkansas – 17%
• Pennsylvania – 17%
• Iowa – 16.5%
• Michigan – 16%
• Ohio – 14.5%
• Georgia – 15%
• Kansas – 15%
• Tennessee – 15%
• Texas – 15%

WEIGHT-LOSS DOCTOR SHARES HOW GLP-1S COULD REWIRE BODY AGAINST DISEASE

The highest GLP-1 usage rates were concentrated in the South, Midwest and Appalachia, likely due to their higher obesity and diabetes rates.

The report also identified these lowest-usage states, mostly in coastal and Western regions. Hawaii had the lowest overall prescriptions.

See the list below.

• Florida – 10%
• Maryland – 10%
• Wisconsin – 10%
• Washington – 9%
• California – 9.5%
• Nevada – 8%
• Oregon – 8%
• Arizona – 8%
• Colorado – 8%
• Utah – 8%
• Rhode Island – 7.5%
• Hawaii – 5%

COULD GLP-1 WEIGHT-LOSS MEDICATIONS LIKE OZEMPIC BECOME THE ‘EVERYTHING DRUG’?

Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurologist and longevity expert who often prescribes GLP-1 medications to his patients, takes a daily microdose each day to promote heart health.

“These agents are primarily prescribed for type 2 diabetes, but the tides are turning — and soon, in my humble opinion, they will be used more to treat obesity (or categorically ‘overweight’ individuals), absent diabetes, although there is typically a high degree of crossover between the two conditions,” Osborn told Fox News Digital.

The doctor also predicts that GLP-1s will soon be used to treat or prevent vascular disease, temper drinking, address gambling addiction, slow cognitive decline and likely as a complement to chemotherapy cancer treatments.

“Prescribing practices and indications are expanding rapidly, and therefore, we must be careful about our conclusions,” Osborn said. “That said, my guess is that these medications are being prescribed more so in states such as Kentucky, West Virginia and other Midwestern states where obesity and diabetes are rampant.”

Obesity rates by state

The Trust for America’s Health recently released its State of Obesity report, which is based on 2024 data from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

The report lists the following 10 U.S. states as having the highest adult obesity rates, all of which are located in the South or Midwest. 

In nine of the 10 states, at least 15% of the population have GLP-1 prescriptions, according to insurance claims data.

• West Virginia – 41.4%
• Mississippi – 40.4%
• Louisiana 39.2%
• Alabama – 38.7%
• Arkansas – 38.4 %
• Oklahoma – 37.9 %
• Kentucky – 37.7 %
• Tennessee – 37.2 %
• Indiana – 36.9 %
• Texas – 36.8 %

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Overall, 19 states had adult obesity rates of at least 35%, compared with 23 states the previous year.

This was also the first time that no state had an adult obesity rate below 25%, according to the report.

Below are the states with the lowest rates of obesity, according to the report.

• District of Columbia – 25.5%
• Colorado – 25%
• Hawaii – 27%
• Massachusetts – 27%
• California – 27.6%
• Florida – 28%
• New Jersey – 28.2%
• Washington – 28.8%
• Vermont – 29%
• New York – 29.1%

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“Structural barriers to healthy eating and physical activity need continued policy attention and investment,” said J. Nadine Gracia, M.D., president and CEO of Trust for America’s Health, in a statement.

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“It is vital that government and other sectors invest in – not cut – proven programs that support good nutrition and physical activity and ensure they reach all communities.”

Fox News Digital reached out to GLP-1 manufacturers requesting comment.

A deep clean at the dentist may benefit more than just your oral health.

In a two-year study of people with periodontitis or severe gum disease, researchers from University College London (UCL) found that those who got intensive treatment — a full-mouth deep cleaning with regular follow-ups — had slower thickening and clogging of a major neck artery and better blood-vessel function than those who only got routine cleanings.

The randomized controlled trial tracked 135 adults at UCL’s Eastman Dental Institute who had periodontitis, which can stem from poor oral hygiene, genetics, smoking or uncontrolled diabetes, according to the research published this month in the European Heart Journal. 

COMMON VIRUSES LINKED TO ‘DRAMATIC’ SPIKE IN HEART ATTACK AND STROKE RISK

At 12 and 24 months, participants who received intensive deep cleanings showed less gum inflammation and fewer bacteria entering the bloodstream, and their arteries were healthier than those who got standard scale-and-polish care, which only removes plaque and tartar buildup. 

Dr. Marco Orlandi, co-author of the trial, said in a statement that the participants who received the intensive gum disease treatment had a 0.02 millimeter reduction in the thickening of their carotid arteries after two years.

“This is a significant result, as even a 0.01 millimeter reduction corresponds to a 10% decrease in cardiovascular disease risk, suggesting participants reduced their risk by around 10% each year,” Orlandi said.

Doctors track the thickness of the carotid artery wall as an early warning sign for clogged arteries that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. This study didn’t count actual heart events, but the artery changes, along with lower gum inflammation, suggest that improved oral health could help fight cardiovascular disease.

FRUIT-BASED INGREDIENT MAY HELP FIGHT GUM DISEASE NATURALLY, SCIENTISTS DISCOVER

All participants were otherwise healthy and not taking regular medication, helping researchers isolate the effects of gum disease treatment.

“This is among the most robust evidence to date that oral and cardiovascular health are interconnected,” Professor John Deanfield, lead author of the study and director of cardiovascular prevention at UCL, said in a statement. “Addressing periodontitis could become a powerful tool in preventing serious heart and brain events such as heart attacks and strokes.”

Professor Francesco D’Aiuto, another of the study’s co-authors, added that medical and dental professionals should work more closely in recognizing and addressing the cardiovascular implications of gum disease. 

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Periodontitis affects about 40% of adults worldwide and can cause bleeding, swelling and tenderness of the gums and tooth loss if untreated.

“Your gums are part of your vascular system,” Dr. Catrise Austin, a New York City cosmetic dentist and host of the “Let’s Talk Smiles” podcast, told Fox News Digital. “If they’re inflamed and bleeding, your arteries feel it.”

Austin, who was not involved in the study, said the findings are further proof that doctors and cardiologists should start paying closer attention to their patients’ gum health. 

“Asking a simple question like, ‘Do your gums bleed when you brush?’ could help identify early signs of systemic inflammation long before more serious health issues arise,” she said.

For patients, she recommends brushing twice daily, flossing daily, getting regular professional cleanings, quitting smoking and managing conditions like diabetes. 

“These steps not only protect your smile, they also lower inflammation that contributes to cardiovascular disease,” Austin said.

The study, supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the NIHR UCLH Biomedical Research Center in collaboration with University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, adds to a growing body of research linking gum health to overall well-being.

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Earlier this year, an analysis of more than 500,000 people in the U.K. Biobank found that those with signs of gum disease, such as bleeding or painful gums, were more likely to have multiple chronic conditions, from diabetes to heart disease to depression.

Much of the previous evidence was correlated, showing that people with gum disease tend to have higher cardiovascular risk, but it did not prove that treating gum disease reduces heart attacks or strokes.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the study’s authors for comment.