SEMAGLUTIDE & TIRZEPATIDE THERAPY

Semaglutide and Tirzepatide are medications approved for the treatment of Diabetes Type 2, in adults. However, the medications have gained popularity and credibility in recent years for their ability to help reduce weight in obese adults WITHOUT Diabetes Type 2. You will see these medications now offered in various settings as a weight loss treatment. 

In 2021, a *study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrated weight loss of approximately 15% of the participants’ starting weight over the course of 68 weeks with once, weekly injections of Semaglutide. Additionally, those patients who received Semaglutide showed a reduction in cardiometabolic risk factors compared to a control group who did not receive semaglutide. Gastrointestinal (GI) side effects were more frequently reported in the Semaglutide group, but these side effects were predominantly transient. **Tirzepatide had been shown to demonstrate weight loss of 15-20% in approximately 16.5 months. As with semaglutide, gastrointestinal side effects were the most commonly reported side effect with tirzepatide and occurred primarily during dose escalation. Although the results look promising, it is important to note that there may be contraindications to taking this medication for weight loss including a history of or active thyroid disease and thyroid cancer.