According to two new major clinical trials, the weight loss drug tirzepatide, sold under the brand names Zepbound® and Mounjaro®, has an interesting side effect—it can significantly improve obstructive sleep apnea symptoms in people with obesity.1
Eli Lily, the maker of tirzepatide and funder of the two studies, has asked the Food and Drug Administration to allow Zepbound to be prescribed for sleep apnea, which would make it the first drug approved to treat the condition.
About Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when muscles in the throat relax excessively during sleep, blocking a person’s airflow. One of the risk factors for the condition is obesity—nearly 70% of people with sleep apnea are obese2—which is likely due to the presence of excess fatty tissue in their neck, tongue and upper airway.
Common sleep apnea symptoms include loud snoring, periods of stopped breathing while sleeping and sudden awakenings with gasping or choking.
Up until now, treatments for the condition have not been drug-based. One of the most well-known is the CPAP machine, which provides steady, continuous air pressure through a mask to ensure the airway remains open. Other options include an oral appliance that keeps the throat open and a nerve-stimulating surgical implant placed under the tongue.
Clinical Trials Offer Hope
Researchers conducted two trials with people who had moderate to severe sleep apnea and obesity. They found that those who got a tirzepatide shot every week experienced fewer breathing interruptions or periods of restricted, shallow breathing while sleeping than individuals who took the placebo.
In a trial of people already using CPAP machines, those who received tirzepatide had approximately 30 fewer of these events per hour on average, while the placebo group experienced only six fewer per hour. Participants who couldn’t or wouldn’t use CPAPs saw an equally beneficial outcome in another trial.
Although tirzepatide hasn’t been cleared by the FDA for sleep apnea yet, that doesn’t mean you should wait to treat your sleep issue.
Seek help from our expert sleep team—contact us today at 248-844-2936.
1 Blum, Dani. (2024). A new option to treat sleep apnea: weight-loss drugs. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/21/well/sleep-apnea-weight-loss-drug.
2 Wolk, R et al. (2003). Obesity, sleep apnea, and hypertension. American Heart Association. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/01.hyp.0000101686.98973.a3#