Menopause can trigger an onset of both physical and emotional symptoms. Hot flashes, difficulty sleeping, aging skin, mood changes, and even increased heart health risk are all common (and annoying and sometimes scary) symptoms of this life transition. Additionally, many menopausal women complain about weight gain. Stubborn belly fat got its nickname for a reason, but researchers found a new dual treatment method that’s proving significantly beneficial for postmenopausal weight loss.
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Researchers say GLP-1 drugs alone won’t help with postmenopausal weight loss.
For postmenopausal women struggling to lose weight, using tirzepatide (sold under the brand names Mounjaro, approved for diabetes treatment, and Zepbound, approved for weight loss) in conjunction with menopause hormone therapy could be the answer.
A new study found that this dual treatment method leads to significantly greater weight loss in postmenopausal women, compared to the use of obesity medication alone, according to a press release detailing the research presented by the Endocrine Society at the annual ENDO 2025 conference.
“The information garnered through this new study provides important insights to develop more effective and personalized weight management interventions to reduce a postmenopausal woman’s risk of overweight and obesity-related health complications,” said Maria Daniela Hurtado Andrade, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine and consultant for Mayo Clinic’s Division of Endocrinology.
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The health risks associated with menopausal weight gain:
During menopause, there is a sharp decline in estrogen and progesterone levels. This triggers an onset of metabolic changes, including a decrease in muscle mass and muscle tone. When this happens, “fewer calories are being burned [and] fat accumulates” in its wake, explains UChicago Medicine. Postmenopausal women also “accumulate more fat as our metabolism is slowing down, contributing to more weight [gain].”
This “vicious cycle” is also fed by fatty tissue deposits, which increase when hormone production slows down. Fatty tissue deposits tend to accumulate “around the midsection,” creating what doctors call a “menopause belly.”
Postmenopausal women who are overweight or obese are at an increased risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and respiratory issues, according to UChicago Medicine. Moreover, weight gain can contribute to joint pain, particularly arthritis, and hinder mobility.
Additionally, obesity can put you at greater risk for breast cancer.
At the Endocrine Society summit, experts also presented research that indicates tirzepatide can reduce “obesity-associated breast cancer growth.” In a mouse model, tirzepatide reduced cancer tumor volume, which scientists concluded “was significantly correlated with body weight, total adipose mass and the amount of fat stored in the liver.”
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Combining tirzepatide and hormone therapy is better for postmenopausal weight loss.
The study involved 120 postmenopausal women; 80 participants only used tirzepatide to help with weight loss, and 40 participants used a combination of tirzepatide and menopause hormone therapy. Researchers monitored their weight-loss progress over a median duration of 18 months. They concluded that dual treatment results in “superior total body weight loss percentage” in postmenopausal women who are obese or overweight.
The findings were as follows:
- Three percent more women using tirzepatide plus menopause hormone therapy lost weight, compared to tirzepatide-only users (17 percent vs. 14 percent)
- Menopause hormone therapy is more effective than not using it at all
- 45 percent of menopause hormone therapy users saw at least 20 percent total body weight loss
“These data are the first to show the combined use of tirzepatide and menopause hormone therapy significantly increases treatment effectiveness in postmenopausal women,” said Regina Castaneda, MD, a research fellow at the Division of Endocrinology at Mayo Clinic.
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The takeaway:
As the doctors expressed, postmenopausal weight gain “puts millions of women at risk for developing heart disease and other serious health issues.” While changes in diet and exercise are smart action steps, a dual treatment method like tirzepatide plus menopause hormone therapy can prove significantly beneficial.
“This study underscores the urgent need for further research to better understand how obesity medications and menopause hormone therapy work together. Gaining this knowledge could greatly improve the health and well-being of millions of postmenopausal women. It also points to the need for better strategies to make these treatments more accessible and available to those who need them,” said Andrade.