Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is a long-lasting disease where your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use it well.
Insulin is an essential hormone that helps your body process sugar. If you have T2D, too much sugar stays in your blood.
Introducing Tirzepatide
Here’s where tirzepatide comes in. This drug imitates two hormones that help control blood sugar and suppress appetite.
This new kind of diabetes drug was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in May 2022.
Earlier studies showed that tirzepatide lowers blood sugar and helps with weight loss better than other diabetes drugs.
A new study conducted by researchers at the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust now says that tirzepatide also works faster.
How Fast Does Tirzepatide Work?
The researchers tested tirzepatide on adults with T2D. They compared it with semaglutide, another injectable drug, and insulin (specifically, degludec or iDeg). They also gave the test subjects diet and exercise advice and oral medications to lower blood sugar.
They found that tirzepatide worked about four weeks faster than semaglutide. It also worked between 4 and 12 weeks faster than insulin.
One way doctors measure blood sugar control is through a test called HbA1c. It measures the average blood sugar level over the past 2 to 3 months.
Patients taking tirzepatide reached their HbA1c targets faster than those on semaglutide or iDeg.
It took about 8 weeks to reach an HbA1c level of less than 7% with all doses of tirzepatide. With semaglutide and iDeg, it took about 12 weeks.
For a lower HbA1c target of 6.5% or less, it took 12 weeks with tirzepatide. But with semaglutide, it took around 16 weeks. And with iDeg, it took about 24 weeks.
Weight Loss Goals with Tirzepatide
The study also found that tirzepatide helps people lose weight faster.
Participants taking the two higher doses of tirzepatide (10 and 15 mg) lost at least 5% of their body weight in about 12 weeks. With semaglutide, it took about 24 weeks.
Losing even 5% of your body weight can significantly improve health issues related to weight.
According to the research team, the ability to achieve these health improvements in about half the time is pretty amazing.
The study was conducted by Dr. Adie Viljoen and his team.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies that pomace olive oil could help lower blood cholesterol, and honey could help control blood sugar.
For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies about Vitamin D that may reduce dangerous complications in diabetes and results showing plant-based protein foods may help reverse type 2 diabetes.
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