Tirzepatide is a drug prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. A new study shows that it allows for greater weight loss in women compared to men.
- Tirzepatide is a medication prescribed for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
- It would allow greater weight loss in women, compared to men.
- In any case, the High Authority for Health reminds that it should only be prescribed as a second-line treatment.
It is not yet marketed in France, but the High Authority of Health is in favor of its reimbursement under certain conditions: tirzepatide is a treatment indicated in the management of obesity and type 2 diabetes. According to a new study, it would be more effective for weight loss in women than in men. The authors of this research are presenting their results this week in Madrid, on the occasion of the Annual Congress of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
Greater weight loss in women with tirzepatide
In their analysis, they compared tirzepatide and a placebo. In total, more than 4,500 adults with obesity were followed, some for more than a year and a half. Among the participants were 2,999 women and 1,678 men. The drug and placebo were given once a week. At the end of the trial, the scientists found a “Robust reduction in body weight in adults with obesity and overweight, with or without type 2 diabetes”.
But they found that women generally lost more weight than men over the course of the study.”Analyses revealed that in all trials, tirzepatide treatment was associated with a significant reduction in weight compared with placebo, regardless of gender, ranging from -11.5% to -27.6% in women and -8.8% to -18.9% in men.”they conclude. As for the side effects of the treatment and its safety, the results were similar in both groups, but women reported more nausea and vomiting.This analysis highlights the consistent benefits of tirzepatide for women and mensays Dr. Luis-Emilio Garcia, a member of the company that markets the drug, Eli Lilly. Further research is needed to understand the mechanism by which women may experience greater weight loss in these trials..”
Type 2 diabetes, obesity: tirzepatide should be a second-line treatment
Whatever the answer, this treatment is not suitable for all patients. In its notice On September 5, the High Authority for Health recalled that this drug should be prescribed as a second-line treatment. It specifies that it is reserved for cases where the ““well-conducted nutritional management (<5% weight loss at six months), in combination with a low-calorie diet and physical activity" has failed, and should only be intended for adult patients with an initial body mass index (BMI) ≥ 35 kg/m², the population most at risk of obesity-related complications". Among these, Inserm cites the risk of high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, particularly due to inflammation of the arteries, but also dyslipidemia, liver disease (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis), and chronic kidney disease.
