
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>Women with obesity and diabetes taking weight loss and diabetes drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound for over a year lost more weight than their male counterparts—but also experienced more nausea and vomiting, according to new research.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>Researchers from Eli Lilly who tracked weight changes for a group of 4,677 people with Type 2 diabetes and obesity found female participants lost up to 24.6% of their body weight during treatment, while males lost up to 18.1% of their body weight.</p>



<p>The participants—2,999 females and 1,678 males—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.</p>



<p>These participants took different doses of once weekly tirzepatide—the generic name for Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound—shots during this time period.</p>



<p>The researchers noted 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.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-do-women-lose-more-weight-on-glp-1s-than-men">Why Do Women Lose More Weight On Glp-1s Than Men?</h2>



<p>“More research is needed to understand the mechanism by which females may experience more weight reduction in these trials,” Dr. Luis-Emilio García-Pérez, lead author and associate vice president of the Diabetes Global Medical Affairs team for Eli Lilly, said in a statement. However, previous research suggests there may be several factors that play a role in the difference of weight loss between men and women who take tirzepatide and other GLP-1 drugs. The differences in hormones between the two sexes may be the reason women lose more weight, according to a 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8950819/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S073510972407445X?via%3Dihub" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">study</a>&nbsp;published last month in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found women with obesity and heart failure taking GLP-1s lost more weight than male participants, and suggested differences in metabolism may be the reason. “As a general rule, females have more fat in their bodies, and it is distributed in a different way, which may respond to the mechanisms of action of this medication better,” Dr. John Lowe, a gastroenterologist and physician at Restore Care,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/wegovy-more-weight-loss-women#Why-Wegovy-might-help-females-lose-more-weight" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;Healthline. Lowe went on to add women suffer different societal pressures than men when it comes to body image, so this factor could make women more likely to stick to lifestyle changes—like diet and exercise—while adhering to the drug.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p>Glucagon-like peptide-1 (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551568/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">GLP-1</a>) 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 the appetite, and lowering blood sugar and A1C. Two of the most popular GLP-1s are semaglutide (brand name&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2022/12/26/what-to-know-about-ozempic/">Ozempic</a>, Wegovy and Rybelsus) and tirzepatide, but other drugs in this class include dulaglutide, exenatide, liraglutide and lixisenatide. Tirzepatide is a two-part medication, as it’s a GLP-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (<a href="https://my-bmi.co.uk/medical-therapy/what-are-gip-receptor-agonists/#:~:text=GIP%20receptor%20agonists%20work%20with,few%20benefits%20for%20certain%20patients." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">GIP</a>), which works with the GIP hormone in the brain to increase insulin production and control appetite.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">Big Number</h2>



<p>9 million. That’s about how many prescriptions of Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound were written in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/27/ozempic-wegovy-drug-prescriptions-hit-9-million.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">data</a>&nbsp;from CNBC. Nine million people would represent roughly 2%-3% of the U.S. population.</p>


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Women Taking Mounjaro And Zepbound Lose More Weight Than Men, New Study Suggests: What To Know


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>New study results found weight loss and diabetes drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro may significantly cut the risk of diabetes in people with prediabetes and obesity, adding to the growing list of diseases researchers have found the drugs can prevent.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>Drug manufacturer Eli Lilly&nbsp;<a href="https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/tirzepatide-reduced-risk-developing-type-2-diabetes-94-adults" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;the results from a three-year study that found its drug tirzepatide slashed the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 94% in adults with prediabetes who also are obese or overweight.</p>



<p>Tirzepatide is the active ingredient in Mounjaro, the company’s approved diabetes drug, and Zepbound, the company’s approved weight-loss drug.</p>



<p>The drug also caused participants to lose weight: Those taking the highest 15 mg dose lost an average of 23% of their body weight compared to the placebo group, which only lost 2.1%.</p>



<p>However, during a 17-week follow up period when participants stopped treatment, weight was regained, and there was “some increase in the progression to type 2 diabetes,” though they still had an 88% reduction in risk, according to Lilly.</p>



<p>The most commonly reported adverse events among the study group were mild to moderate gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and constipation.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">Big Number</h2>



<p>98 million. That’s about how many Americans have prediabetes, totaling around one in three adults in the U.S., according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/communication-resources/1-in-3-americans.html#:~:text=Graphic%20text%3A%20About%2098%20million,classified%20as%20type%202%20diabetes." rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">data</a>&nbsp;from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-prediabetes">What Is Prediabetes?</h2>



<p>People with prediabetes have higher than normal blood sugar levels, but they aren’t high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. It’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prediabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20355278" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">caused</a>&nbsp;by insulin resistance—the same thing that causes type 2 diabetes—which can happen because of genetics, excess body fat, a diet high in processed foods, physical inactivity, chronic stress, lack of sleep, long-term steroid use and hormonal disorders like cushings disease. Although prediabetes is fairly common, most Americans (80%) don’t know they have it,&nbsp;<a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21498-prediabetes" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the Cleveland Clinic. This is because prediabetes often doesn’t have any symptoms, though some people do experience symptoms like skin tags, eye changes and darkened skin around the armpits, back or neck. However, prediabetes is reversible through lifestyle changes like weight loss,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/prediabetes" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to Yale Medicine.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/01/31/diabetes-drug-mounjaro-expected-to-be-approved-for-weight-loss-soon-what-to-know-and-how-it-compares-to-similar-drugs/">Mounjaro</a>&nbsp;was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2022, and Zepbound was approved in 2023. Prediabetes isn’t the only disease tirzepatide has been found to prevent. Participants taking tirzepatide with high blood pressure saw up to a 10.6 point reduction in blood pressure, according to a February&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/02/05/lillys-weight-loss-drug-tirzepatide-may-significantly-reduce-blood-pressure-study-finds/">study</a>. Earlier this month, Lilly revealed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2024/08/01/weight-loss-drug-zepbound-could-lower-heart-failure-risks-eli-lilly-says/">trial results</a>&nbsp;that found patients taking tirzepatide had a 38% lower risk of death or hospitalization because of heart complications. The drug drastically slowed the progression of kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes and an increased cardiovascular risk,&nbsp;<a href="https://diabetes.org/newsroom/tirzepatide-slowed-progression-chronic-kidney-disease-pateints-with-type-2-diabetes-increased-cardiovascular-disease" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the American Diabetes Association. Tirzepatide also significantly reduces&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/06/21/mounjaro-drug-tirzepatide-could-treat-sleep-apnea-study-finds/">sleep apnea</a>&nbsp;symptoms.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">Further Reading</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/01/31/diabetes-drug-mounjaro-expected-to-be-approved-for-weight-loss-soon-what-to-know-and-how-it-compares-to-similar-drugs/">Diabetes Drug Mounjaro Expected To Be Approved For Weight Loss Soon: What To Know And How It Compares To Similar Drugs</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2024/08/01/weight-loss-drug-zepbound-could-lower-heart-failure-risks-eli-lilly-says/">Weight Loss Drug Zepbound Could Lower Heart Failure Risks, Eli Lilly Says</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Mounjaro/Zepbound Drastically Cuts Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes, Eli Lilly Report Suggests


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Ozempic and Mounjaro manufacturers are being sued over claims that the drugs cause gastroparesis, a severe stomach disorder, but some experts believe this assertion is inaccurate because the drugs only cause a temporary delay in stomach emptying.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Earlier this month, a personal injury law firm filed a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forthepeople.com/sites/default/files/2023-08/Morgan%20%26%20Morgan%20Ozempic%20Bjorklund%20complaint%208.2.23.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against Novo Nordisk—the makers of Ozempic—and Eli Lilly, the makers of Mounjaro, claiming the drugs cause gastroparesis.</p>



<p>The lawsuit also alleges the manufacturers knew of the link between the GLP-1 drugs and “the risk of developing severe gastrointestinal issues, including gastroparesis.”</p>



<p><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gastroparesis/symptoms-causes/syc-20355787" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gastroparesis</a>, or stomach paralysis, slows or completely stops the movement of food from the stomach to the small intestine, preventing the stomach from properly emptying—neither drug lists gastroparesis as a potential side effect.</p>



<p>Semaglutide (the generic name for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2022/12/26/what-to-know-about-ozempic/?sh=2336a35a5adb">Ozempic</a>) and tirzepatide (the generic name for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/01/31/diabetes-drug-mounjaro-expected-to-be-approved-for-weight-loss-soon-what-to-know-and-how-it-compares-to-similar-drugs/?sh=68aef4ef477a">Mounjaro</a>) are a type of drug known as a GLP-1, and they work by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uclahealth.org/news/semaglutide-weight-loss-what-you-need-know" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interacting</a>&nbsp;with the hunger part of the brain and suppressing the appetite, causing patients to feel full quicker.</p>



<p>In July, CNN released a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/25/health/weight-loss-diabetes-drugs-gastroparesis/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>&nbsp;about patients who’ve been diagnosed with severe gastroparesis, and their doctors believe weight loss drug Wegovy (manufactured by Novo Nordisk) and its sister diabetes drug Ozempic may be to blame.</p>



<p>The patients noticed they were vomiting days-old food and doctors noted it was common for people on Ozempic to have stomachs full of food when doing an endoscopy—one patient even had to have a stomach bypass surgery to help relieve the gastroparesis.</p>



<p>The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) put out a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.asahq.org/about-asa/newsroom/news-releases/2023/06/patients-taking-popular-medications-for-diabetes-and-weight-loss-should-stop-before-elective-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warning</a>&nbsp;in June asking patients to stop taking GLP-1 drugs at least a week before elective surgeries due to an increased risk of the drugs causing vomiting during operation.</p>



<p>The ASA has received reports that an “increased risk of regurgitation and aspiration of food into the airways and lungs during general anesthesia and deep sedation” was potentially being caused by the drugs’ ability to “delay” stomach emptying.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chief-critic">CHIEF CRITIC</h2>



<p>A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4134614-ozempic-mounjaro-sued-stomach-paralysis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;The Hill “patient safety is of utmost importance” to the company and they continuously monitor “the safety profile of our products and collaborate closely with authorities to ensure patient safety, including adequate information on gastrointestinal side effects in the label.” In a similar statement, a spokesperson for Eli Lilly told The Hill patient safety is “top priority,” and it “actively [engages] in monitoring, evaluating and reporting safety information” for their medications.&nbsp;<em>Forbes&nbsp;</em>has reached out to both companies for comment.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Gastroparesis, also called delayed stomach emptying, affects the movement of food even though there isn’t a blockage in the small intestine or stomach,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/gastroparesis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. It typically takes about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/digestive-system/expert-answers/faq-20058340#:~:text=After%20you%20eat%2C%20it%20takes,move%20through%20the%20entire%20colon." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">six to eight hours</a>&nbsp;for food to pass from the stomach to the small intestine, though the amount and type of food consumed can affect this. With gastroparesis, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318753#stomach-emptying" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">digestion process</a>&nbsp;is extended, and specific times differ from person to person.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/gastroparesis/symptoms-causes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Symptoms</a>&nbsp;include too much bloating, feeling full after starting a meal, feeling full long after finishing a meal, vomiting, heartburn, pain in the upper abdomen, poor appetite and too much burping. Gastroparesis has many causes, including diabetes, which is the most common cause of gastroparesis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/diabetes-digestion.html#:~:text=Nausea%2C%20heartburn%2C%20or%20bloating%20can,common%20known%20cause%20of%20gastroparesis." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>. Though both Ozempic and Mounjaro are used off-label for weight loss, they are only approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in treating Type 2 diabetes. High blood sugar can lead to gastroparesis. Besides suppressing the appetite, another result of Ozempic’s ability to slow down the digestion process is the lowering of blood sugar,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ozempic.com/why-ozempic/how-ozempic-works.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to Novo Nordisk.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contra">CONTRA</h2>



<p>Steven Batash, founder of Batash Endoscopic Weight Loss and an expert on nonsurgical weight loss procedures, told&nbsp;<em>Forbes&nbsp;</em>that “to say [Ozempic] causes gastroparesis is not really an accurate statement.” This is because gastroparesis is the “end product” when no food or almost no food moves in the digestive tract. Instead, Batash believes Ozempic causes a delay in gastric emptying. However, this delay only lasts for a short period of time and once the medication’s effects wear off, patients’ “motility will return to [their] baselines,” according to Batash. Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs are known to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ozempic.com/faqs.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cause</a>&nbsp;gastrointestinal issues, like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Side effects of Ozempic will be present but will be “mild” in most patients. If these effects are too extreme, Batash recommends either lowering the dosage or stopping usage altogether.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>A&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28958851/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;published in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langas/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology</em></a><em>&nbsp;</em>examined how liraglutide—another GLP-1 drug—affected digestion. Participants took either liraglutide or a placebo for five weeks and then ate a meal with a radioactive tracer so researchers could see how long the food stayed in their stomachs. It took those taking liraglutide 70 minutes for half their food to leave their stomachs compared to four minutes in the control group, a drastic slow in digestion. In some participants taking liraglutide, it took up to two hours and 30 minutes for half the meal to leave their stomachs. However, this group did see weight loss, and there was a correlation between a bigger delay in stomach emptying and the more weight participants lost.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2022/12/26/what-to-know-about-ozempic/?sh=13edf6c65adb">What To Know About Ozempic: The Diabetes Drug Becomes A Viral Weight Loss Hit (Elon Musk Boasts Using It) Creating A Shortage</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/08/07/what-is-berberine-supplement-dubbed-natures-ozempic-for-possible-weight-loss-benefits-but-evidence-is-limited/?sh=154e8d5a1068">What Is Berberine? Supplement Dubbed ‘Nature’s Ozempic’ For Possible Weight Loss Benefits—But Evidence Is Limited.</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/01/31/diabetes-drug-mounjaro-expected-to-be-approved-for-weight-loss-soon-what-to-know-and-how-it-compares-to-similar-drugs/?sh=68aef4ef477a">Diabetes Drug Mounjaro Expected To Be Approved For Weight Loss Soon: What To Know And How It Compares To Similar Drugs</a> (Forbes)</p>


Tag: Mounjaro

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Women Taking Mounjaro And Zepbound Lose More Weight Than Men, New Study Suggests: What To Know

Mounjaro/Zepbound Drastically Cuts Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes, Eli Lilly Report Suggests

What To Know About Gastroparesis: Lawsuit Claims Ozempic And Mounjaro Causes The Severe Stomach Disorder