Menopause Weight Gain: Hormone Therapy Boosts Drug Results

A recent study from the Mayo Clinic indicates that postmenopausal women may experience greater weight loss by combining hormone therapy with tirzepatide, an FDA-approved obesity drug. The research, published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women's Health, analyzed 120 women and found that those receiving both treatments lost approximately 35% more weight.

Women in the hormone therapy group achieved an average of 19.2% body weight reduction, compared to 14.0% in the group that did not use hormone therapy. This suggests a potential new strategy for managing weight gain and associated health risks like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes during menopause.

While the findings are encouraging, researchers caution that the study was observational and cannot definitively prove causation. Experts suggest other factors, such as healthier lifestyle choices among participants using hormone therapy, might also contribute to the results. Preclinical data, however, propose that estrogen may enhance the appetite-suppressing effects of GLP-1-based medications.

Future randomized trials are planned to confirm these results and explore the combination's impact on broader cardiometabolic health. For most women, using these treatments together appears safe, though hormone therapy is not suitable for everyone, particularly those with a history of certain cancers or blood clots.