Table of Contents
Topline
Obese and diabetic women who took the weight loss and diabetes drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound lost more weight than their male counterparts over a year, but also experienced more nausea and vomiting, new research shows.
Mounjaro’s packaging, manufactured by Eli Lilly and Company, can be seen in this illustration photo taken … [+]
Key facts
Eli Lilly researchers who tracked weight changes for a group of 4,677 people with type 2 diabetes and obesity found that female participants lost up to 24.6% of their body weight during treatment, while men lost up to 18.1% of their body weight.
The participants – 2,999 women and 1,678 men – were followed for between 72 and 88 weeks, according to research presented this week at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
These participants took several doses of tirzepatide (the generic name for Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound) once a week during this period.
The researchers noted that although safety levels were similar for both sexes, women experienced nausea and vomiting – two of the most common side effects of tirzepatide – at significantly higher rates than their male counterparts.
Why do women lose more weight on GLP-1s than men?
“More research is needed to understand the mechanism by which women in these studies may experience greater weight loss,” says Dr. Luis-Emilio García-Pérez, lead author and associate vice president of Eli Lilly’s Diabetes Global Medical Affairs team. a statement. However, previous research suggests that several factors may play a role in the difference in weight loss between men and women taking tirzepatide and other GLP-1 drugs. According to 2022 figures, the differences in hormones between the two sexes could be the reason why women lose more weight study. A study Published last month in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that obese women with heart failure who took GLP-1s lost more weight than male participants, and suggested that differences in metabolism may be the reason. “In general, women have more fat in their bodies, and it is distributed differently, which may be more responsive to the mechanisms of action of this drug,” says Dr. John Lowe, gastroenterologist and physician at Restore Care. told Healthline. Lowe added that women face different societal pressures than men when it comes to their body image. So this factor could make women more likely to stick to lifestyle changes – such as diet and exercise – while adhering to the drug.
Important background
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor agonists are a class of drugs used to treat diabetes and weight loss by interacting with the hunger part of the brain to suppress appetite and lower blood sugar and A1C. Two of the most popular GLP-1s are semaglutide (brand name Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus) and tirzepatide, but other drugs in this class include dulaglutide, exenatide, liraglutide, and lixisenatide. Tirzepatide consists of two parts, as it is a GLP-1 and glucose-dependent insulintropic polypeptide (GIP), which works with the GIP hormone in the brain to increase insulin production and control appetite.
Big number
9 million. That’s about how many prescriptions from Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound were written in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to facts from CNBC. Nine million people would represent roughly 2%-3% of the US population.