Taking This Obesity Medication with Menopause Hormone Therapy May Lead to More Effective Weight Loss: Study Suggests - Video

Postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity experience significantly greater weight loss when treated with both tirzepatide and menopause hormone therapy (MHT), compared to tirzepatide alone. Findings were presented at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco.

Tirzepatide, a medication used to treat obesity, has shown promising results in various populations. However, weight gain associated with menopause often presents a unique challenge. Hormonal changes during menopause can lead to increased abdominal fat, reduced muscle mass, and altered energy metabolism factors that collectively elevate the risk of heart disease and other health concerns in millions of women.

"These data are the first to show the combined use of tirzepatide and menopause hormone therapy significantly increases treatment effectiveness in postmenopausal women," said Regina Castaneda, M.D., research fellow in the Division of Endocrinology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. "Previous studies of the medication semaglutide found similar results. Achieving these outcomes with a second obesity medication may indicate a broader efficacy trend for pairing these two classes of medications."

Researchers conducted a real-world study using electronic health records of 120 postmenopausal women over a median follow-up of 18 months. Participants were divided into two groups: 40 women received both tirzepatide and menopause hormone therapy, while 80 received tirzepatide alone.

The study found that women in the combination therapy group lost more total body weight 17% on average compared to 14% in those using only tirzepatide. Notably, 45% of women using menopause hormone therapy achieved at least 20% total weight loss, compared to just 18% of non-users.

Reference: https://www.endocrine.org/