Latest news with #SURMOUNT
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Can a GLP-1 Shrink Your Menopause Belly? What New Science Tells Us
Menopause can bring more than just hot flashes and mood swings, it can also usher in an expanding waistline that defies diet and exercise. Known as 'menopause belly,' it's the visceral fat that begins to accumulate around a woman's waistline in midlife and is linked to deeper metabolic changes that occur as estrogen levels drop. GLP-1 receptor agonists, like semaglutide and tirzepatide, are making headlines not just for dramatic weight loss, but also by proving to help target this hormone-driven transformation. More from Flow Space Menopause and Mental Health: Coping with Mood Swings and Anxiety But can these drugs really help shrink the hormonal belly bulge? What does the latest science say about GLP-1 safety and effectiveness for midlife women? Here's what you need to know. Menopause belly refers to the increase in abdominal fat that many women experience during and after menopause. 'This shift is driven primarily by hormonal changes, specifically the decrease in estrogen,' Catherine Metzgar, PhD, RD, director of coaching operations at Virta Health, told Flow Space. 'Estrogen plays a key role in regulating body fat distribution, and when levels decline, fat tends to accumulate more viscerally which is around abdominal organs.' This is a shift from pre-menopause, when fat tends to accumulate more in the hips and thighs. Other factors that contribute include: Insulin resistance or insulin sensitivity—associated with increased fat accumulation. Muscle loss—decreases with age, less muscles results in a slow metabolism. Stress and sleep issues—increase cortisol levels, which are linked to abdominal fat storage. These metabolic shifts do have long-term impacts on our health, added Metzgar. Visceral fat is linked to an increased risk for metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Originally developed for type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 drugs mimic a gut hormone that regulates blood sugar, curbs appetite and slows digestion. This can result in a reduced appetite, improved insulin sensitivity and weight loss, specifically in visceral fat. These effects are especially relevant during menopause, when insulin resistance tends to rise and metabolism slows. 'These GLP-1 medications can help by slowing the time it takes for your stomach to empty and by making you feel fuller longer,' Dr. Brunilda Nazario, chief medical officer at WebMD told Flow Space. 'These drugs can help restore your metabolism, making it easier to lose weight and improve body shape.' And now a new study has found that GLP-1 agonist, tirzepatide, can help with overall weight loss, as well as reduce deep abdominal fat and improve key cardiometabolic markers. Physicians from New York-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine found that a primary concern for women in menopause is weight gain. In order to better understand GLP-1s efficacy for women in midlife, they conducted a secondary analysis of data from the SURMOUNT clinical trial to determine the efficacy of tirzepatide in women in the premenopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal stages of life. What they found was that regardless of reproductive stage, tirzepatide was associated with significant body weight, waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio reductions in women living with obesity or who are overweight. Tirzepatide, like other GLP-1s, delay gastric emptying and increase feelings of fullness, which help to reduce appetite and, therefore, food intake. These medications also improve insulin response and glucose control, which also supports weight loss. 'These results are not surprising and are consistent with other research evaluating GLP-1 medications and observed weight loss,' says Metzgar. 'Therefore, the findings can likely be applied to other GLP-1 agonists beyond tirzepatide. Even the authors of the study make a similar conclusion.' The researchers found that tirzepatide worked by targeting the visceral fat in menopausal women in the same way it targets fat for other individuals who used GLP-1 drugs. They also noted that lifestyle changes, like proper diet and exercise, were also an important piece of the equation to ensure optimal results. 'Based on our research, we believe clinicians prescribing tirzepatide can feel more confident recommending the medication to their patients, especially women reporting menopause-related weight gain,' the researchers concluded. 'The data provides reassurance that this medication is effective in the setting of perimenopause and menopause.'
India Gazette
12-05-2025
- Health
- India Gazette
Weight loss drug Mounjaro shown more effective than Wegovy, claims Pharma company
New Delhi [India], May 12 (ANI): Eli Lilly and Company announced on Monday detailed results from SURMOUNT-5, a phase 3b open-label clinical trial, evaluating the safety and efficacy of tirzepatide, a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist, compared to semaglutide, a mono GLP-1 receptor agonist, in adults living with obesity, or overweight with at least one weight-related medical problem and without diabetes, according to a press statement. According to Eli Lilly, participants reduced 20.2 per cent weight with tirzepatide in comparison to 13.7 per cent with semaglutide across the trials. At 72 weeks, tirzepatide met the primary endpoint and all five key secondary endpoints, demonstrating superiority compared to semaglutide across the trial. The detailed results were presented at the 32nd European Congress on Obesity (ECO) and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The statement added, 'For the primary endpoint, participants treated with tirzepatide achieved an average weight reduction of 20.2 per cent compared to 13.7 per cent with semaglutide at 72 weeks using treatment-regimen estimand,1 47 per cent greater relative weight loss. Participants using tirzepatide lost an average of 22.8 kg and participants on semaglutide lost an average of 15.0 kg.2.' In key secondary endpoints, tirzepatide was superior across all weight reduction targets with 64.6 per cent of participants treated with tirzepatide achieving at least 15.0 per cent weight loss compared to 40.1 per cent on semaglutide. Additionally, participants treated with tirzepatide achieved a superior average waist circumference reduction of 7.2 in (18.4 cm), while those treated with semaglutide saw an average reduction of 5.1 in (13.0 cm). 'Thanks to the latest advancements in obesity management medications, more physicians and patients are witnessing significant weight reduction beyond what they have seen before,' said Louis J. Aronne, MD, FACP, DABOM, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center and the Sanford I. Weill Professor of Metabolic Research at Weill Cornell Medicine, obesity expert at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and investigator of SURMOUNT-5,' as per the statement. 'The SURMOUNT-5 head-to-head results demonstrated that tirzepatide led to greater weight reduction compared to semaglutide, providing further evidence to support tirzepatide as an effective option for obesity management.' 'Obesity is a chronic disease that requires comprehensive management, and Lilly is committed to supporting people with obesity and enhancing the standard of care in obesity management in India', said Winselow Tucker, President and General Manager, Eli Lilly and Company (India). 'The results from the SURMOUNT 5 trial provide robust evidence supporting Mounjaro (tirzepatide) as an effective option for obesity management in India.' The safety profile of tirzepatide in SURMOUNT-5 was consistent with previous SURMOUNT trials. Adverse events reported during the trial were primarily gastrointestinal-related and were generally mild to moderate in severity. During the trial, 6.1 per cent of participants taking tirzepatide discontinued treatment due to adverse events, compared to eight per cent of participants taking semaglutide. However, the study was not powered to compare the safety and tolerability of tirzepatide and the safety and tolerability of semaglutide. Tirzepatide is a weight loss drug for adults with obesity or with overweight who also have weight-related medical problems, as Zepbound in the US and Mounjaro in some countries outside of the US Tirzepatide is also commercialised as Mounjaro for adults with type 2 diabetes in the US and in some countries outside of the US. Semaglutide is a drug used as Wegovy for people living with obesity or for overweight adults who also have weight-related medical problems and Ozempic for people with type 2 diabetes. (ANI)
