Menopause and GLP-1s
A growing body of evidence has started to suggest that popular GLP-1 weight-loss shots may not work as well for women who have gone through menopause—a group that telehealth companies are increasingly pitching them for.
Earlier this month, Novo Nordisk — the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy — shared findings from different weight-loss drug trials, which showed that for women who have already gone through menopause, weight-loss drugs were slightly less effective. In a study of Novo’s daily weight-loss pill, post-menopausal women lost 15.7% of their body weight, compared to women still getting regular periods who lost more than 18% of their body weight.
Similar results were observed in an analysis of Eli Lilly’s rival weight-loss shot Zepbound.
“I don’t know if it’s related to just the reduction in estrogen, in hormones, with menopause and if that’s playing a role or if there are other factors at play,” Jason Brett, Novo’s US medical chief, told me in an interview. “I’m not sure if I’ve really seen definitive data that explains it.”
The studies come as more and more women are turning to GLP-1 drugs to help them lose weight, particularly after menopause when hormonal changes can make weight loss more difficult. Now, a growing number of telehealth companies have pitched weight-loss drugs as a solution for women experiencing menopause-related weight gain.
To be sure, the drugs still work for most women. Brett, from Novo, noted that in the company’s analysis, there was a robust weight-loss effect for women in each category. “I think that’s an important takeaway,” he said.
And for some women, there may even be a workaround. Studies have suggested that hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, may boost how well GLP-1 drugs work for women after menopause. However, more research is needed, experts say, before the treatments should be widely used in combination. — Madison Muller
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