The presence of medical conditions associated with obesity does not affect the overall weight loss attained with the use of the anti-obesity drug tirzepatide. This finding is as per a study supported by the industry, and will be presented at ENDO 2024, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, held in Boston, Massachusetts (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Anti-obesity medication tirzepatide remains effective even for those with diabetes and other complications

Go to source

).

Obesity is responsible for the onset or aggravation of more than 200 diseases. It has long been held as a common belief that individuals with multiple medical conditions find it challenging to shed weight compared to those without any health issues. The recent research, sponsored by Eli Lilly Inc., the manufacturer of tirzepatide, aimed to investigate whether the presence of additional obesity-related diseases leads to reduced weight loss.

One of the lead researcher Sriram Machineni, M.D., of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y. stated, “Overall, tirzepatide treatment resulted in significant weight loss, regardless of the number of obesity-related complications patients had at the outset of the study,”

In November 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved tirzepatide, a once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist, under the trade name Zepbound. It is approved for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight who have at least one weight-related condition, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol. Previously, tirzepatide was approved by the FDA under the trade name Mounjaro for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Study Details and Outcome

The findings from four distinct trials were consolidated by the researchers. Despite variations in study designs and patient profiles, all participants were diagnosed with obesity. In total, there were 4,726 individuals involved, all of whom were either obese (with a BMI exceeding 30) or overweight (with a BMI of 27 or higher) and had an obesity-related health issue. Among these, a subgroup of 938 participants from one trial were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
The weight losses achieved in the tirzepatide groups were categorized based on the number of obesity-related conditions (no other medical conditions, one such condition, or two or more) compared to patients who received a placebo.

Participants who had a longer duration of obesity or were of advanced age exhibited a higher prevalence of obesity-related comorbidities, as one would anticipate. Irrespective of the existence of other obesity-related conditions, individuals who received tirzepatide treatment experienced more significant decreases in body weight compared to those who received a placebo.

Reference:

1. Anti-obesity medication tirzepatide remains effective even for those with diabetes and other complications – (https://admin.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2024/endo-2024-press-machineni)

Source-Medindia