This article originally appeared on Medical News Today
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GLP-1 medications have gained popularity over the last few years for aiding weight loss.
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Tirzepatide is available through both the type 2 diabetes medication Mounjaro and weight-loss medication Zepbound.
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A new study funded by Eli Lilly reports that people without diabetes can lose up to 13% of their starting weight in 6 months using tirzepatide.
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The study used Mounjaro, which is not yet approved specifically for weight management.
Over the last few years, there has been an increase in the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 agonists) for weight loss.
Originally designed as a medication for type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 medications like Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Ozempic (semaglutide) have been used off-label to help people lose weight.
In November 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved one GLP-1 drug using tirzepatide as the active ingredient, called Zepbound, for chronic weight management in the case of adults with obesity or overweight, and with at least one weight-related condition.
Both Mounjaro and Zepbound are produced by the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly.
Now, a new study funded by Eli Lilly reports that people without diabetes can lose up to 13% of their starting weight in 6 months using tirzepatide.
The study was recently published in the journal Diabetes & Metabolism.
Average 13% weight loss on tirzepatide over 6 months
For this study, researchers analyzed medical data for about 4,100 people without a type 2 diabetes diagnosis listed in the Healthcare Integrated Research Database.
The average age of selected study participants was 46 years, more than three-quarters were female, and they had an average body mass index (BMI) of 37.1 kilograms per square meter (kg/m2).
At the study’s conclusion, scientists found that study participants lost on average 13% of their starting weight over 6 months.
Additionally, researchers observed that the rate of continuation for continuing to use tirzepatide for 6 months or more was 73.8%, which they say is higher than other studies have previously reported.
Emily R. Hankosky, PhD, senior director of Cardiometabolic Health, Health Economics and Outcomes Research at Eli Lilly & Company, and corresponding author of this study, confirmed for Medical News Today that the participants were taking Mounjaro as an off-label treatment for weight management “at the discretion of their prescribing physician.”
Dyslipidemia, hypertension most common obesity-related complications
During their study, researchers also reported that about 32% of participants who started tirzepatide had class 3 obesity with a BMI of 40 kg/m2 or more.
Additionally, scientists found that about 74% of participants had one or more obesity-related complications, while about 51% had two or more complications.
Dyslipidemia was the most common obesity-related complication among participants, followed by hypertension (high blood pressure) and anxiety.
Are the health benefits from the drug or the weight loss?
MNT had the opportunity to speak with Mir Ali, MD, a board-certified general surgeon, bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, about this study.
Ali, who was not involved in this research, commented that the findings are in line with what other studies have shown regarding the benefits of tirzepatide.
“Additional research always helps to define the patients who will benefit the most from this medication, and what kind of long term effects it has,” Ali told us. “And what they’re finding as people are using this medication, they’re seeing the benefits of the weight loss, and it’s hard to separate the effects of the medicine from the weight loss.”
“They’re seeing an improvement in their high blood pressure and other medical conditions associated with being overweight, and so there’s a lot of benefits to the weight loss,” he continued. “And this is one of the most effective medications available now for this [weight loss].”
“As long as we learn more about it, there may be broader indications or they might apply to patients who are at lower weights,” Ali added.
“Right now it’s pretty strict criteria with the insurance companies as to who they will approve it for — they actually need to be in kind of a morbid obesity or extremely obese class to qualify for this medication. And it may be more beneficial for people who are not quite so overweight,” he suggested.
Potential side effects, cost considerations for people without diabetes
MNT also spoke with Jennifer Cheng, DO, chief of endocrinology at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center in New Jersey, about this research.
“The observational study confirms what we do see in clinical settings, that it is an effective agent for weight loss,” Cheng, who was likewise not involved in the study, said.
“Many of our nondiabetic patients do lose the weight described in the clinical study. Zepbound as well as semaglutide [drugs] have been effective for weight loss for patients. The weight reduction also decreases weight related complications, including hyperlipidemia, hypertension, sleep apnea, [and] joint pain.”
– Jennifer Cheng, DO
“It really has been a game changer in terms of getting patients to lose weight, but it is important that patients are aware of the side effects,” she continued.
“It works by helping to slow down the gut and helping patients feel full, faster,“ Cheng explained. “Patients eat less as a result and it really helps them lose weight. Patients do need to be aware they still need to watch foods that they eat and exercise regularly on top of taking medication.”
“While it has been studied in patients with diabetes, those without diabetes do not have the same metabolic derangement as patients with diabetes and can potentially react differently in real world situations,” she added.
Like Ali, though, she cautioned that: “The cost of the medication is another consideration that nondiabetic patients should consider. Not all insurances will cover the medication and the cash price for the medication can be from $349-$1,298 a month.”
Cheng said she would like to see additional research to determine the long-term effects of tirzepatide on cardiovascular disease and fatty liver disease, and potential adverse effects such renal impairment and pancreatitis.
“It would also be helpful to determine if the weight loss is sustainable even after stopping medication after achieving weight loss goals,” she added. “More research is needed to help determine the advantages and disadvantages of medication, but it is really promising for those who suffer from morbid obesity and have weight related complications.”
View the original article on Medical News Today