Weight loss drugs have dominated the headlines lately. Now there’s a new medication that may be the most effective one yet! Let’s talk about Tirzepatide. On Nov. 11, 2023 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved tirzepatide (which will be sold under the brand name Zepbound), to treat obesity.
FDA Approves Tirzepatide!
About 70% of Americans are overweight, with a BMI between 27 and 30, or obese, with a BMI over 30. This can increase the risk of a host of other health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and more. Yet there really haven’t been effective medications to treat obesity. Since its approval in 2021, semaglutide has helped enough people lose a significant amount of weight. This has prompted doctors to see overweight and obesity as a chronic condition. Eli Lilly submitted studies to the FDA showing that tirzepatide helped people who were overweight or obese to lose about 18% of their body weight.
What is Tirzepatide?
Tirzepatide belongs to a group of drugs that mimics incretins, these are hormones released by the gut in response to food. Incretins signal cells in the pancreas to secrete insulin. This breaks down the glucose in food and helps to regulate glucose in the blood. Without enough incretins, blood sugar levels can escalate, contributing to weight gain, diabetes, and a number of other metabolic conditions. Over decades, scientists along with others in the pharmaceutical industry, worked to find ways to stabilize and extend the longevity of incretins. After years of experimenting with various incretins in mice, they found that combining them improved both glucose and weight control.
Tirzepatide is a combination of two of the most effective of these incretins: glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). It’s the first dual-acting weight loss drug of its kind. (Semaglutides, including Ozempic and Wegovy, target a single incretin, GLP-1). The FDA’s approval of tirzepatide, following the approval of semaglutide in 2021, gives doctors two of the most potent drugs yet to treat weight loss. There’s evidence that the medication could supplement diet and exercise changes. In an Eli Lilly study of people who were overweight or obese and took Zepbound, those who started with diet and exercise alone lost on average 6.9% body weight. Once they added the drug, lost an additional 21% body weight over 72 weeks.
Look Your Best & Feel Your Best with Elevate Wellness Clinic
Are your weight loss goals falling short? At Elevate Wellness Clinic located just inside of Atlanta, Ga we help patients change their eating habits for good. Fad diets fail to take into account that everyone has a different type of body, metabolism, and mindset.