Tirzepatide was associated with greater weight loss than semaglutide among patients treated for obesity, according to a study published on June 16. Researchers led by Venky Soundararajan analyzed de-identified electronic health records from matched cohorts of 10,339 tirzepatide-treated and 10,339 semaglutide-treated patients to assess the range of responses to these glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists.
The analysis found that outcomes varied widely, with some individuals experiencing minimal weight loss and others achieving more than a 25% reduction in body weight. On average, patients taking tirzepatide lost 14.7% of their body weight compared to 10.8% for those taking semaglutide.
The proportion of 'high responders'—defined as individuals who lost more than 15% of their body weight in one year—was nearly twice as high in the tirzepatide group compared to the semaglutide group. Additionally, patients treated with tirzepatide reported fewer adverse events related to gastrointestinal issues, headaches, and fatigue.
Demographic patterns were also observed in the data. Female and white patients using either medication were more likely to achieve significant weight loss compared to male, black, and Hispanic patients. The latter groups were more likely to lose less than five percent of their body weight within a year. The authors said that the reasons behind these demographic differences remain unknown and warrant further investigation.
"Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have become massively popular for weight loss, but results vary from person to person and drug to drug," Soundararajan said.
