Newer obesity medications frequently result in significant weight reduction, but many patients are curious about what happens to them once they stop taking the medication.
An explanation is given by a research that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on December 11, 2023: a large portion of the weight returns, suggesting that patients may be forced into a lifelong reliance on the medications.
Weekly injections of tirzepatide, a novel weight-loss medication authorised by the US in November 2023, served as the basis for the study.
The study’s 670 individuals lost a significant average (mean) of 20.9% of their body weight after nine months.
After then, the group was divided in half; half was kept on the medication, while the other half received a placebo.
At 22 months, the placebo group lost 9.9% less weight than baseline after regaining nearly half of their lost weight.
Individuals using tirzepatide maintained their weight loss, finishing 25.3% less than when they began.
The study’s participants were primarily female, with a mean age of 48 and an initial mean weight of 107.3 kilogrammes.
It was recommended that each participant consume 500 fewer calories per day than they expended and engage in at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week.
The study discovered that nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, and vomiting were common gastrointestinal adverse effects.
The results “emphasise the need to continue pharmacotherapy to prevent weight regain and ensure the maintenance of weight reduction,” according to the study’s authors, Professor Dr. Louis Aronne of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, US.
“Medications, including potent anti-obesity medications such as semaglutide, have demonstrated that weight is substantially regained” after ceasing therapy, they said, citing four prior studies in support of the most recent study.
GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) agonists, such as tirzepatide and semaglutide, function by imitating the actions of a hormone that secretes insulin, slows down the emptying of the stomach, and suppresses hunger.
Another protein found in tirzepatide is called glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), and it functions similarly to the gut hormone.
“Patients, providers, and the public do not always understand that obesity is a chronic disease that often requires ongoing treatment, which can mean that treatment is stopped once weight goals are met,” Eli Lilly senior vice-president for product development Jeff Emmick said in a statement in response to the study.
Tirzepatide is produced by the American pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly.
Studies have shown that GLP-1 agonists reduce the risk of obesity-related cardiac disease, but they significantly increase the risk of gastrointestinal issues.
Despite the low incidence of major side effects like stomach paralysis, some doctors worry that long-term medication use might alter the benefit-to-risk calculation.
The expense of tirzepatide, which is presently $1,059.87 (RM4,989.34) a month in the US, can also be a deterrent.
