The results of a recent clinical trial have shown that tirzepatide, a drug used to treat obesity and diabetes, can reduce the risk of death or worsening heart failure for patients who have obesity and heart failure.
The Phase 3, randomized, double-blind trial included 731 patients who had been diagnosed with diastolic heart failure and who had a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30. Patients were randomized to two groups: one that received weekly injections of tirzepatide and a second that received weekly injections of placebo for 52 weeks. Participants were then followed for a median of two years and monitored for heart-failure related events and mortality.
The results showed that 15.3% of the patients who took placebo died or had worsening heart failure during the follow-up period, while only 9.9% of patients who took tirzepatide died or had worsening heart failure. Additionally, patients who took tirzepatide lost an average of 13.9% of their body weight during the 52-week trial, while patients on placebo lost only 2.2% of their body weight. Patients on tirzepatide also had fewer hospitalizations, reported higher quality of life, and had lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers compared to the placebo group. Side effects of tirzepatide included mild to moderate nausea and diarrhea.
Tirzepatide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist, a class of medication that has become increasingly popular for managing weight in recent years. One of the leaders of the study noted that drugs in the GLP-1 agonist class have shown many health benefits beyond just weight loss. For patients with obesity-related heart conditions, tirzepatide and similar products have potential to both improve heart function and prevent the worsening of conditions like heart failure.
Sources: American College of Cardiology, Science Daily