The battle between weight-loss drugs continues. While studies show semaglutide (sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy) can improve your dementia risk and prevent Alzheimer's, additional research proves that tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) is actually more effective for weight loss. There are arguments for both sides, and those certainly differ based on your reason for treatment. However, a new study published in the Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions is favoring tirzepatide over semaglutide when it comes to mortality risk.
RELATED: Doctor Says Ozempic Raises Certain Health Risks by Up to 900%.
The study’s findings are especially prevalent among the diabetes community, as the disease increases your risk of heart failure and chronic kidney disease. "These conditions are closely linked to blood sugar and glucose levels," explains the press release. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately one in three adults with diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) have chronic kidney disease
While both conditions can be fatal, they are treatable with the right course of action. If you’re diabetic and someone who has suffered from both heart failure and chronic kidney disease, scientists say weight-loss injections (but not all of them!) could help save your life.
A total of 9,712 diabetic patients, with histories of chronic kidney disease and heart failure, were identified for the study. They were divided into two groups, one of which was administered tirzepatide and the other which received semaglutide, pitting the two weight-loss drugs against each other.
"While both medications mimic the natural hormone, GLP-1, that regulates blood sugar and are effective for weight loss, tirzepatide has shown to lead to greater weight loss and improvements in insulin sensitivity," says the release.
With that in mind, researchers set out to discover which of the two drugs has a lower incidence of all-cause mortality among diabetes patients living with chronic kidney disease and heart failure.
Conclusive results were drawn after a 12-month monitoring period. So, which weight-loss drug came out on top?
According to their findings, semaglutide, AKA Ozempic and Wegovy, was associated with "a significantly elevated incidence of all-cause mortality." Moreover, semaglutide patients had a higher risk of experiencing "secondary endpoints," such as ischemic stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and readmission, than their peers on tirzepatide. Diabetes patients taking tirzepatide also achieved better blood sugar levels compared to those in the semaglutide cohort.
RELATED: Why Up to 75% of People on Weight-Loss Drugs Stop Taking Them, Cardiologist Says.
"While both medications show promise in managing cardiovascular and renal conditions, our team was pleasantly surprised to find significantly better outcomes associated with tirzepatide due to its lower cost, fewer side effects, and greater weight loss effectiveness," said lead author, Adbul Wali Khan, MD, an internal medicine resident at the University of Missouri Kansas City.
But what’s even more interesting is that "not only was tirzepatide’s ability to improve survival rates and reduce the chances of other cardiovascular events promising, but the medication also offered superior blood sugar control— a significant advantage for patients with type 2 diabetes," Khan added.
Simply put, according to the press release, "Tirzepatide outperforms semaglutide by reducing mortality by 50% in patients with diabetes."
