Mounjaro Benefits Stop When Jabs Halted

New research suggests that the substantial health benefits gained from using the popular weight loss injection Mounjaro are reversed when patients discontinue the medication. Mounjaro, which contains the active ingredient tirzepatide, had previously shown remarkable results, helping some users shed up to 25 per cent of their body weight in 18 months.

The findings, sourced from the Surmount-4 clinical trial and published in the journal Jama Internal Medicine, tracked participants who had lost weight and achieved health improvements while on tizepatide.

When the group ceased taking the medication, a significant majority—82 per cent of participants—regained 25 per cent or more of their initial weight reduction within 12 months.

Crucially, the study revealed that the reversal went beyond mere weight regain. Patients also suffered a decline in other critical cardiometabolic parameters that had improved during treatment. These reversals included a rise in blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which had previously been reduced. Researchers also noted increased waist circumference and rising blood glucose levels among those who stopped the drug.

The study found that "higher weight regain on withdrawal of tirzepatide was associated with a greater reversal of improvements in cardiometabolic parameters". Participants who regained 75 per cent or more of their weight saw their health markers return to their pre-treatment baseline values.

Experts noted that these results were not surprising, as excess weight is a well-established driver of elevated blood pressure and impaired glucose control. When weight returns following therapeutic interventions, these cardiometabolic risk factors typically increase in proportion to the speed and extent of the weight regain.

Professor Jane Ogden highlighted that weight-loss jabs do not always lead to better eating habits. Once the medication is stopped, individuals may return to previous behaviors, causing a reversal in weight loss and cardiac benefits.

The findings underscore the necessity for continued obesity treatment to sustain cardiometabolic benefits. Furthermore, discontinuing these drugs could remove a protective effect against hospitalisation and death for heart patients.

Health watchdog Nice previously warned that many individuals regain weight if they are not adequately supported after treatment. Nice’s guidance emphasizes that successful weight management does not end when medication stops. Instead, services must provide "structured support" and continuity of care to help individuals build long-term behavioral habits.

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🔖 Sources

People who stop using Mounjaro suffer reversal of health benefits, says study

Three key benefits reversed within months after patients discontinue Mounjaro, scientists warn

Health benefits of Mounjaro reverse when jabs halted, study says

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