An Effective Weight-Loss Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes Patients With Obesity

The results of the SURMOUNT-2 study indicate that tirzepatide, a once-weekly glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, may be an effective weight-loss option for individuals with type 2 diabetes who have obesity. The findings were presented at the 83rd Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego, California, and were simultaneously published in The Lancet.

Obesity impacts more than 650 million people around the world and nearly 50% of all Americans. It is a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Of Americans with diabetes, almost 90% are overweight or obese. The study sought to assess how tirzepatide impacts body weight in this population.

The study included 938 patients with type 2 diabetes who were obese or overweight. The co-primary outcomes of interest were defined as a percent change from randomization in body weight and the percentage of participants who achieved body weight reduction from randomization of at least 5%. Both outcomes were assessed over 72 weeks.

According to the findings, participants lost an average of 15% of their starting body weight following 72 weeks of tirzepatide. On average, patients using tirzepatide lost 33 pounds, and the baseline HbA1c of 8% dropped to approximately 6% by the end of the study.

“With a new drug like tirzepatide, it becomes clear we need a weight-centric approach to treating type 2 diabetes when obesity is also present, 2 conditions that are interwoven for so many Americans,” said W. Timothy Garvey, MD, MACE, MABOM, a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Director of the UAB Diabetes Research Center, in a press release. “We are encouraged by these weight-loss and glycemic control results, especially as weight-loss interventions are typically less effective in patients with diabetes.”