Tirzepatide was FDA-approved in March of 2022 as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes.
What can Tirzepatide do for me?
Tirzepatide is understood to promote weight loss by decreasing your appetite and prolonging feelings of fullness. Hence, these effects can cause you to eat fewer calories.
What makes Tirzepatide unique?
Tirzepatide is unique because it’s the first combination of two classes of medications: a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist and a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor agonist. GLP-1 and GIP are both incretin hormones, which are hormones that are released after eating. Therefore, Tirzepatide is known as a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist and it works by stimulating the release of insulin from your pancreas when your body is exposed to glucose.
In short, Tirzepatide works by mimicking their effects. This includes telling the pancreas to release insulin after eating and signaling the liver to lower the amount of glucose it’s making. These effects help lower blood glucose.
How can Tirzepatide help me lose Weight?
In addition to helping lower blood glucose, Tirzepatide helps with weight loss in a couple ways. First, It signals to the brain that you’re full — so you eat less. Secondly, It slows the movement of food through your stomach — so you feel full longer.
Other similar injectable weight loss medications only mimic one incretin — GLP-1. It’s thought that because Tirzepatide acts like two incretins, it can cause more weight loss than current alternatives. Researchers have extensively studied how effective Tirzepatide is for weight loss for people with and without diabetes.
How much weight do you typically lose on Tirzepatide? While everyone’s experience is unique, many people have lost 15-20% or more of their starting body weight with Tirzepatide over the course of one year.
We must emphasize the need to exercise (resistance & cardio), eat a well-balanced diet (HIGH protein / LOW calorie), reduce your alcohol consumption and follow-up with your healthcare provider annually.