In the SURMOUNT-4 trial, withdrawing tirzepatide after 36 weeks of therapy led to significant weight regain among individuals with obesity. To evaluate how this rebound affected cardiometabolic health, researchers performed a post hoc analysis of 308 participants over an additional 52 weeks. During treatment, participants experienced reductions in weight and improvements in cardiometabolic measures.
However, after tirzepatide withdrawal, individuals who regained 25% or more of their initial weight loss showed increases in waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, non–HDL cholesterol, HbA1c, and fasting insulin. These deteriorations were progressively greater with higher levels of weight regain (Table 1). Overall, the findings indicate that stopping tirzepatide commonly results in substantial weight regain within a year, accompanied by a corresponding reversal of earlier…
