Postmenopausal women lost 35% more weight when combining hormone therapy with the FDA-approved obesity drug tirzepatide, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in The Lancet.
Researchers analyzed 120 postmenopausal women taking tirzepatide for 12 months. Women receiving hormone therapy lost 19.2% of body weight versus 14.0% in the control group.
"This study provides important insights for developing more effective and personalized strategies for managing cardiometabolic risk in postmenopausal women," said Dr. Regina Castaneda, the study's first author.
However, researchers emphasized the study was observational and cannot prove causation. Dr. Maria Daniela Hurtado Andrade, senior author, noted that symptom relief may have improved participants' ability to maintain diet and exercise routines.
Future randomized trials will aim to confirm findings and explore broader cardiometabolic health outcomes.