Tirzepatide: How it Works, Pros and Cons, Weight Loss Effectiveness

Tirzepatide is one of the newer treatments that has gained hype in the realms of weight loss as well as metabolic health.

This is a novel treatment that becomes part of a new group of drugs to be used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, with promising effects on weight loss and quite a talk among those fighting obese conditions and more effective ways of losing weight.

By the way, if you are going to administer the tirzepatide for weight reduction, then first, there would be reviewing possible side effects, its effectiveness, and whether you qualify or not.

What Is Tirzepatide?

There is a newly approved drug by the FDA, Tirzepatide in adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes from May 2022. It is administered by injection from Eli Lilly once per week. Tirzepatide is one of the agonists of the GLP-1 receptor. 

The medication is said to decrease blood glucose levels normally for patients taking it alone or even in combination with diet and exercise to manage diabetes. Besides its application in type 2 diabetes treatment, the drug is likely to be prescribed to help adults lose weight. 

How Does Tirzepatide Work?

Tirzepatide is structured to mimic two hormones of the human body GLP-1 and GIP. GLP1 and GIP provide a variety of fundamental functions, largely in the regulation of insulin secretion, slowing gastric emptying, and the modulation of signals that indicate hunger in the brain.

Here’s the way by which tirzepatide operates:

• Control of blood sugar: Like GLP-1, tirzepatide helps stimulate insulin release in response to meals, thereby enhancing glucose control through better body responses to sugar in the blood after eating.
• Reduced Appetite: The other advantage of tirzepatide is its reduction of hunger. It slows down the emptying rate of the stomach and brings levels of fullness up so significantly that it tends to decrease calorie intake overall.
• Improved Sensitivity to Insulin: Besides managing normal levels of blood glucose, Tirzepatide is going to enhance body sensitivity to insulin, thus maintaining normal blood glucose levels as well as averting and inducing the natural risk associated with the onset of type 2 diabetes and obesity.
• Fat Loss: Tirzepatide seemed to promote fat loss by action on preferential activation of the switch from storage of fat to burning of fat. Reduced appetite and associated improved insulin sensitivity make the body better at burning off fats.

Weight Loss Effectiveness: How Well Does Tirzepatide Work?

While everyone’s experience is unique, many people have lost 15% or more of their starting body weight with tirzepatide.

In the first of several weight loss studies for the experimental drug tirzepatide, more than 2,500 people who were considered obese or overweight lost weight. 

Weight loss among those who received tirzepatide was an average loss of 15% to 20% of their starting body weight over 72 weeks, about 16.5 months. 

That is a mean weight loss of 34 lbs to 48 lbs. The placebo subjects, who injected no medicine, had an average of only 3% weight loss.

Pros of Tirzepatide

So, tirzepatide proves to be one of the popular treatments used these days because of its diversified list of benefits. 

Main pros of using tirzepatide for weight loss:

• Significant Weight Loss: 

Clinical trials have shown that treatment with tirzepatide can bring about dramatic weight loss. Individuals in several studies lost as much as 15-20% of body weight over a several-month or more period. That is far more weight reduction than most other drugs for weight loss or lifestyle interventions alone.

• Improved Blood Sugar: 

While on tirzepatide, patients with type 2 diabetes should experience regulated blood sugar levels. This is done by stimulating the secretion of insulin during a meal. When this occurs, blood sugars post-meal are decreased alongside fasting blood sugars, which should help improve glucose regulation overall.

• A Dual Action for Diabetes and Weight Loss: 

Tirzepatide, because of its dual effect on blood sugar regulation and appetite, has broad applications as an intervention. It would be able to handle obesity and type 2 diabetes simultaneously, which is helpful in a patient’s life, especially with both conditions.

• Convenient Dosing: 

Tirzepatide is available as an injection, given once weekly. It is less burdensome for those patients who do not want to have the bother of taking daily tablets and managing and administering drugs multiple times during the day.

• Potential Cardiovascular Benefits: 

Tirzepatide has been shown in studies to lower cholesterol levels, thus lowering the risk for heart attacks or stroke, making it an important benefit even for patients with diabetes.

• FDA Approval for Weight Loss: 

While tirzepatide has been approved to be used in the management of diabetes, recent findings from the FDA have led to its use in achieving weight loss among a non-diabetic population. This means that more patients can benefit from the treatment with the drug, thus making it possible for this drug to cover a wider group of subjects seeking an effective loss.

Cons of Tirzepatide

Although there are many advantages of tirzepatide, one should not forget that the following are some of the disadvantages before you decide whether this is good for you. 

Here are the cons of tirzepatide:

• Side Effects: 

Like any other prescription drug, tirzepatide has side effects as well. Among the most notable side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain upon starting the drug treatment. Such side effects are usually held in reserve after the body gets accustomed to the drug. Some patients, however, may have pancreatitis or gallbladder problems in their gastrointestinal tracts although these are rare.

• High Cost: 

Tirzepatide is high in price, especially for patients without any kind of insurance coverage or for those with insufficient insurance coverage. The drug is one of the significant barriers to access and one of the less affordable uses to many people who would benefit from the effects of the drug for weight loss.

• Injectable Form: 

Being injectable, tirzepatide wouldn’t be suitable for individuals who are not comfortable with injections or struggle with self-injection. Having it injectable may be a limitation for some people who would prefer oral delivery, especially considering the nice feature of once-weekly dosing for others.

• Not Suitable for All Patients: 

Tirzepatide is contraindicated in patients with a history of pancreatitis, thyroid cancer of certain types, or severe kidney or liver failure. Consult your physician before ordering any drug since medicines can have dangerous side effects and specific interactions with other diseases.

Best alternatives to tirzepatide for weight loss?

The good news is that there are lots of other medications if tirzepatide for weight loss is not appropriate for you. There are many factors, from the medical to the personal, in finding the right treatment for you.

Other medications that can help with weight loss include:

• Semaglutide (Wegovy)
• Naltrexone/bupropion (Contrave)
• Phentermine / topiramate (Qsymia)
• Phentermine (Adipex-P)

Conclusion

Ultimately, Tirzepatide is a truly pioneering drug, bringing enormous promise in its ability to initiate weight loss and effectively work to manage diabetes. With its possible dual-process action, by nature emulating natural body-produced hormones controlling appetite and regulating blood sugar, there are still side effects and costs that must be carefully deliberated over.

Therefore, for obese patients or type 2 diabetics, tirzepatide may be the strong alternative that can deal with weight and blood glucose profiles. However, like every drug, it has to be consulted with a health care provider to ascertain whether it can be appropriately prescribed to such an individual based on their individual health needs and lifestyle.