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Everyday Health
Do You Have Heart Failure? This Weight Loss and Diabetes Drug Might Help
By By Don Rauf. Fact-Checked,
2 days ago
Tirzepatide is sold as Zepbound when prescribed for weight loss and Mounjaro when prescribed for diabetes. Eli Lilly
Key Takeaways
Tirzepatide lowered the risk of heart failure–related hospitalization and death among people with heart failure and obesity.
The results mirror similar findings for semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy.
It's still hard for adults with heart failure and obesity to get this medication covered by insurance if they don't have diabetes, experts say.
The diabetes and weight loss drug tirzepatide - sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound , respectively - significantly improved heart failure symptoms and related physical limitations in a new study.
The findings, which have yet to be published, showed that tirzepatide reduced participants' risk of heart failure outcomes (hospitalization, death, and the need to increase medication dosage) by 38 percent compared with those taking placebo. Participants with or without diabetes who took the drug also experienced an average weight loss of almost 16 percent.
These latest study results follow the recent publication of other research demonstrating that semaglutide (sold as Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss) can similarly help heart failure patients.
Both tirzepatide and semaglutide belong to a class of medications commonly known as GLP-1s. These drugs have been the focus of significant study as to whether they offer benefits beyond diabetes and obesity management.
In a statement to Everyday Health, the American Heart Association (AHA) said that the new study findings are promising.
"We look forward to learning the full results about tirzepatide for people with heart failure when the trial's results are presented to the scientific community later this year," wrote the AHA. "Research on GLP-1 medications is crucial to help us fully understand which medications may be best for which people and how best to improve survival and reduce risk for as many of our patients as possible."
Reducing Symptoms That Negatively Impact Quality of Life
The trial followed 731 adults with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and obesity who received either tirzepatide or a placebo over the course of a year.
HFpEF is a condition in which the heart's left pumping chamber becomes stiff and unable to fill properly. It is associated with a high burden of symptoms and physical limitations that affect daily life.
Participants taking tirzepatide reported less shortness of breath, fatigue, and swelling of the lower legs along with more ability to exercise than those on placebo.
Some people on tirzepatide experienced side effects, mostly gastrointestinal in nature, like diarrhea, nausea, constipation, and vomiting.
"This brand-new information adds to the growing data about the heart benefits of GLP-1-related medicines," says Robert John Mentz, MD , a cardiologist at Duke University College of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. "Hopefully, when we see the full data from this trial, it will really add another tool in our toolkit to help take care of these patients who, historically, have had limited treatment options."
Tirzepatide Brings a Whole-Body Benefit
The Heart Failure Society of America estimates that nearly 6.5 million Americans over the age of 20 have heart failure.
Anuradha Lala-Trindade, MD , a cardiologist with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, says GLP-1 medications improve heart health in a variety of ways.
"These drugs allow for heart benefits beyond weight loss alone: improved functional capacity as measured by being able to walk longer distances, improved quality of life as measured by standardized questionnaires, and now improved heart failure outcomes," says Dr. Lala-Trindade.
People taking these drugs have seen their blood pressure and cholesterol levels improve, and some evidence suggests benefits for Alzheimer's disease .
FDA Approval for Heart Failure on the Horizon
Tirzepatide drugmaker Eli Lilly will continue to evaluate study results, which it plans to submit to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory agencies starting later this year.
While the FDA has not yet okayed GLP-1 drugs for heart failure, some doctors are already prescribing them.
"If heart failure patients have diabetes and obesity, we can get them these therapies," says Dr. Mentz. "But often if they are just obese with heart failure, it can be challenging to get drug coverage at this time."
Dr. Lala-Trindade further cautions that cost may be an issue for some patients.
"The cost depends on one's insurance plan," she says. "But in general, it ranges between $1,000 and $1,200 per month. The extent to which insurance companies will cover it depends on the indication; however, most will cover for the indication of better diabetes control."
Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy . We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Sources
Lilly's tirzepatide successful in phase 3 study showing benefit in adults with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and obesity. Lilly . August 1, 2024.
Kosiborod MN et al. Semaglutide in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction and Obesity. New England Journal of Medicine . August 25, 2023.
Kosiborod M et al. Semaglutide in Patients With Obesity-Related Heart Failure and Type 2 Diabetes. New England Journal of Medicine . April 6, 2024.
FDA Approves First Treatment to Reduce Risk of Serious Heart Problems Specifically in Adults With Obesity or Overweight. U.S. Food and Drug Administration . March 8, 2024.
Don Rauf has been a freelance health writer for over 12 years and his writing has been featured in HealthDay, CBS News, WebMD, U.S. News & World Report, Mental Floss, United Press International (UPI), Health , and MedicineNet. He was previously a reporter for DailyRx.com where he covered stories related to cardiology, diabetes, lung cancer, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, menopause, and allergies. He has interviewed doctors and pharmaceutical representatives in the U.S. and abroad.
He is a prolific writer and has written more than 50 books, including Lost America: Vanished Civilizations , Abandoned Towns , and Roadside Attractions . Rauf lives in Seattle, Washington.
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