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For women struggling with excess weight after menopause, new research suggests that adding hormone therapy to a popular obesity drug can lead to greater weight loss.
Postmenopausal women lost about 35% more weight when using menopausal hormone therapy together with tirzepatide – a GLP-1-based, Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for overweight and obesity – compared to people taking the drug alone, according to the Mayo Clinic study.
The findings, published in February in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Women’s Health, highlight possible new strategies to address weight gain after menopause, when hormonal shifts can increase the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
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“This study provides important insights to develop more effective and personalized strategies to manage cardiometabolic risk in postmenopausal women,” Dr. Regina Castaneda, first author of our study, said in a statement.
A new study found that postmenopausal women lost more weight when combining hormone therapy with GLP-1-based drugs. (iStock)
The researchers analyzed 120 postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity who took tirzepatide for at least 12 months, including 40 who also used hormone therapy and 80 who did not.
Hormone therapy is commonly used to treat menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, while tirzepatide helps regulate appetite and blood sugar.
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Women in the hormone therapy group lost an average of 19.2% of their body weight, compared to 14.0% in the non-hormone group – about 35% greater relative weight loss – with more women reaching the significant weight loss threshold, according to the study.
Despite the results, the researcher emphasized that the study was observational and could not prove cause and effect.
Hormonal changes after menopause can increase weight gain and health risks. (iStock)
“Since this is not a randomized trial, we cannot say that hormone therapy causes additional weight loss,” said Dr. Maria Daniela Hurtado Andrade, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic and senior author of the study.
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Outside experts agree that the findings should be interpreted with caution.
“As with all observational studies, we have to interpret this study with a grain of salt,” Dr. Gillian Goddard, a board certified endocrinologist, told Fox News Digital.
Goddard, who is also an adjunct assistant professor of medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, noted that the findings show a link, but do not prove that hormone therapy, which usually includes estrogen, directly causes additional weight loss.
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“There may be important differences between the two groups,” he added. “For one thing, the group taking estrogen may be healthier than the group that does not take estrogen … healthier people are more likely to eat a healthy diet and exercise in addition to taking tirzepatide. That may lead to more weight loss.”
Tirzepatide, a GLP-1-based drug, may be more effective for weight loss when paired with hormone therapy, according to researchers. (iStock)
Eliminating symptoms from therapy can also improve sleep and well-being, making it easier for the group to maintain a diet and exercise routine, Hurtado Andrade said.
The study also suggests a possible biological explanation. Preclinical data suggest estrogen may enhance the appetite-suppressing effects of GLP-1-based medications such as tirzepatide, according to the study.
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Goddard said the theory is plausible but unproven.
Hormone therapy can ease menopausal symptoms and help women stay on track with diet and exercise. (iStock)
“Another possibility is that estrogen interacts with tirzepatide in some way that makes it more potent,” he said, adding, “We need randomized studies to get a better handle.”
As for safety, experts say using the two together appears to be safe for most women. However, hormone therapy is not recommended for all patients, especially those with a history of cancer, blood clots or other health risks, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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The researchers say future randomized trials will aim to confirm the findings and explore whether the combination also improves broader cardiometabolic health outcomes, according to the study.
Experts say that more research is needed to confirm whether hormone therapy directly increases weight loss results with GLP-1 drugs. (iStock)
“If confirmed, this work could accelerate the development and adoption of new evidence-based strategies to reduce this risk for millions of postmenopausal women navigating this life stage,” said Hurtado Andrade.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the study’s authors for comment.
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