People who stop using the weight-loss jab Mounjaro are likely to regain lost weight and also lose other health benefits, including improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, according to new research.
The study, based on the Surmount-4 clinical trial, found that among participants who stopped taking tirzepatide after losing at least 10% of their body weight, 82% regained at least a quarter of the weight they had lost within a year. As weight returned, so did elevated “bad” cholesterol, increased waist size, higher blood pressure and worsened blood glucose levels.
The trial followed patients who took the drug for 36 weeks before being split into two groups: one continued the medication and the other switched to a placebo without knowing which group they were in. Those who remained on the drug largely maintained their health improvements.
Experts say the findings show that the benefits of weight-loss injections depend on long-term use or sustained lifestyle changes. Some also warned that these medications do not always build lasting healthy eating and exercise habits, increasing the risk of weight regain once treatment stops.
Researchers concluded that long-term management, including ongoing medication and lifestyle support, is important to maintain the health benefits linked to substantial weight loss.
