Weight Loss Jabs May Need Long-Term Commitment for Sustainable Results
A new study has found that patients who stop using Mounjaro, a weight loss medication containing tirzepatide, do not just regain weight but also experience a reversal of other health benefits. The research, published in the journal Jama Internal Medicine, suggests that sustained weight management is crucial to maintain cardiometabolic benefits and improved quality of life.
Participants in the Surmount-4 trial who lost at least 10% of their body weight after 36 weeks on tirzepatide were randomly split into two groups. One group continued the medication for another 52 weeks, while the other switched to a placebo. The study found that one year after stopping tirzepatide, nearly 82% of participants had regained at least 25% of their initial weight loss.
Moreover, greater weight regain was associated with a reversal of improvements in waist circumference, levels of "bad" cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels. By the end of the study, those who had regained more than 75% of their original weight showed a complete reversal of cardiometabolic parameters to baseline values.
Experts warn that stopping weight loss jabs can remove protective effects against heart failure or death from any cause. Researchers also note that taking these medications does not guarantee healthier eating and exercise habits, as people may lose motivation once the medication is stopped.
Jane Ogden, an emeritus professor at the University of Surrey, pointed out that patients who stop using weight loss jabs tend to return to their previous behaviors, leading to a reversal in health benefits. She emphasized the importance of lifestyle interventions and obesity management medications for sustaining cardiometabolic benefits.
The study's findings support the notion that long-term maintenance of weight reduction is critical to maintaining overall health and well-being. As newer, more affordable strategies for supporting long-term weight loss maintenance emerge, it is essential for individuals to remain committed to healthy habits beyond their medication treatment.
A new study has found that patients who stop using Mounjaro, a weight loss medication containing tirzepatide, do not just regain weight but also experience a reversal of other health benefits. The research, published in the journal Jama Internal Medicine, suggests that sustained weight management is crucial to maintain cardiometabolic benefits and improved quality of life.
Participants in the Surmount-4 trial who lost at least 10% of their body weight after 36 weeks on tirzepatide were randomly split into two groups. One group continued the medication for another 52 weeks, while the other switched to a placebo. The study found that one year after stopping tirzepatide, nearly 82% of participants had regained at least 25% of their initial weight loss.
Moreover, greater weight regain was associated with a reversal of improvements in waist circumference, levels of "bad" cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels. By the end of the study, those who had regained more than 75% of their original weight showed a complete reversal of cardiometabolic parameters to baseline values.
Experts warn that stopping weight loss jabs can remove protective effects against heart failure or death from any cause. Researchers also note that taking these medications does not guarantee healthier eating and exercise habits, as people may lose motivation once the medication is stopped.
Jane Ogden, an emeritus professor at the University of Surrey, pointed out that patients who stop using weight loss jabs tend to return to their previous behaviors, leading to a reversal in health benefits. She emphasized the importance of lifestyle interventions and obesity management medications for sustaining cardiometabolic benefits.
The study's findings support the notion that long-term maintenance of weight reduction is critical to maintaining overall health and well-being. As newer, more affordable strategies for supporting long-term weight loss maintenance emerge, it is essential for individuals to remain committed to healthy habits beyond their medication treatment.