Chinese study shows lasting weight loss after tirzepatide treatment

Obesity has become a global epidemic, contributing to a host of chronic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. In China, rising rates of overweight and obesity have become a major public health concern. While lifestyle interventions such as diet and exercise remain first-line treatments, long-term success is often limited due to frequent weight regain once interventions stop.

Tirzepatide is a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist that has shown remarkable weight loss efficacy in global clinical trials. In China, the SURMOUNT-CN trial marked the first phase 3 study evaluating tirzepatide in overweight and obese adults. While the trial previously reported up to 20% average weight loss after 52 weeks of treatment, the long-term durability of these effects after stopping medication was unknown.

In a recent study published in Life Metabolism, researchers at Fudan University report that even after stopping the anti-obesity drug tirzepatide, Chinese obese individuals can maintain significant weight loss. Briefly, 152 Chinese adults who completed the full 52-week tirzepatide regimen (10 mg or 15 mg doses) were followed for an additional 26 weeks without any anti-obesity drugs or bariatric surgery. The results showed that obese individuals maintained an average weight loss of 8.7% to 10.6% compared to baseline, significantly higher than the placebo group's 2.5%. Waist circumference remained substantially reduced (by over 10 cm in both tirzepatide groups). Cardiometabolic markers, including HbA1c, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol, also continued to show improvement trends. These findings support the idea that tirzepatide has lasting benefits even after discontinuation. This is the first real-world evidence of post-treatment weight loss durability with tirzepatide in a Chinese population. It provides valuable guidance for future obesity treatment strategies and highlights the need for long-term management plans that extend beyond active therapy.