What Happens When You Stop Taking Zepbound?
As a new generation of highly effective weight loss drugs hits the market, doctors are still trying to figure out how long people will need to take them for the best results. A new study offers a clue. Writing in JAMA, researchers report on what happens when people stop taking the weight loss drug tirzepatide, known as Zepbound. Tirzepatide can help people lose double digit percentages of their body weight, compared to single digit percentages with diet and exercise.
The study, sponsored by the drug’s manufacturer, Eli Lilly, included 670 people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, or with a BMI of at least 27 and one weight-related health complication other than diabetes. Everyone took tirzepatide for nine months, and then were randomly and blindly assigned to continue taking the drug or start taking a placebo for a year. Doctors provided all of the participants with diet and exercise support throughout the study.
After nine months on the drug, people lost an average of 20.9% of their body weight. Those who continued on the medication lost an additional 5% of their original body weight over the next year—but those who took a placebo gained 14% of their body weight back. Any improvements they had made in measures like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and waist circumference also started to wane.
Excerpted from Time
