GLP-1s can affect how often some people need to take time off work, study finds

A recent study of the Danish workforce shows that employees using GLP-1 medications like Ozempic took less long-term sick leave. The analysis indicates a 17.3 percent reduction in extended absences for those treated with the drug. Researchers focused on workers in Denmark where national health insurance provides a different structure for medication access compared to the United States.

Data from the study shows that before treatment, 5.5 percent of these workers accessed long-term sick leave defined as more than 30 days. That figure dropped by nearly a full percentage point after patients began their treatment. The vast majority of individuals in this analysis were managing diabetes. Findings also pointed to a decrease in emergency department visits and cardiovascular drug use among the study group.

While the health benefits for these patients are clear, experts caution against assuming identical results in other countries. The health care system in Denmark differs significantly from the fragmented model found in the United States. Furthermore, patient adherence to medication remains higher in Denmark than in the American market. The study suggests that improved cardiometabolic health is a likely factor in keeping employees at work more consistently.

The research was conducted by teams from the University of Copenhagen, the University of Chicago, Duke University, and the Rockwool Foundation. These results provide an early look at how medical treatments for chronic conditions might influence labor market participation. Future investigation will likely address whether these findings hold up across diverse health care environments.