A drug dubbed “the King Kong” of weight-loss hits may also combat a serious snoring condition that causes sufferers to stop breathing while they sleep, a new study reveals.
Researchers have found that tirzepatide, sold under the brand name Mounjaro, can improve the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, which affects up to 10 million Britons.
Currently, the only treatment is a lifestyle overhaul or a CPAP machine that helps keep the airways open at night.
But tirzepatide represents an “important milestone” in managing the disease, experts say.
Experts have found that tirzepatide, sold under the brand name Mounjaro, can improve the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, which affects up to 10 million Britons.
The drug has already proven to be spectacularly effective in controlling type 2 diabetes and losing weight.
In trials, one-third of type 2 diabetics taking tirzepatide lost more than 20 percent of their body weight after just over a year and saw their blood sugar levels controlled.
The average obese person weighing 105 kg (16.5 st) lost 23 kg (50 lb) in 17 months.
This makes the treatment twice as effective as semaglutide injections, better known as Ozempic and Wegovy.
When early results from the tirzepatide studies were announced at a medical conference in 2018, Dr. Julio Rosenstock, a Dallas-based diabetes expert, said he had nicknamed semaglutide, sold under the brand name Ozempic, “the gorilla.” “because it had been the most powerful drug of all time. the type of him until then.
“But tirzepatide is really King Kong,” he added.
For the new trial, researchers recruited 469 participants diagnosed with obesity and living with moderate to severe sleep apnea.
They were given 10 mg or 15 mg of the drug by injection or a placebo once a week, and were followed for about a year.
The analysis revealed that Mounjaro caused a significant decrease in the number of breathing interruptions during sleep, a key indicator used to measure the severity of sleep apnea.
Participants taking the drug experienced up to 30 fewer events per hour (a reduction of almost two-thirds) compared to placebo.
Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher’s death in 2016 was attributed in part to severe sleep apnea along with heart disease, according to her autopsy report.
Although effective, CPAP machines, which are generally a mask connected to an oxygen container through a tube, which delivers oxygen at a continuous pressure to ensure breathing, are uncomfortable.
Some participants taking the drug even reached a point where CPAP therapy might no longer be necessary.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious condition, usually related to obesity, in which the tissues in the back of the throat “collapse” during sleep, blocking the airway.
In addition to disruptions in sleep, sufferers are known to be at increased risk of heart problems due to the stress that disruptions in breathing place on the body.
Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher’s death in 2016 was attributed in part to severe sleep apnea along with heart disease, according to her autopsy report.
Although effective, CPAP machines, which are generally a mask connected to an oxygen container through a tube, which delivers oxygen at a continuous pressure to ensure breathing, are uncomfortable.
Tirzepatide also led to improved body weight and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
Lead author Atul Malhotra said: “This study marks an important milestone in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and offers a promising new therapeutic option that addresses both respiratory and metabolic complications.
‘Historically, treatment for sleep apnea involved using devices during sleep, such as a CPAP machine, to relieve breathing difficulties and symptoms.
«However, its effectiveness depends on constant use. “This new pharmacological treatment offers a more accessible alternative for people who cannot tolerate or do not comply with existing therapies.”
The medicine is manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly.
Dr. Kunal Gulati, executive director of diabetes and obesity medical affairs at Lilly, said: “Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep-related breathing disorder that involves episodes of complete or partial collapse of the upper airway during sleep. , which interrupt the body’s oxygen supply.
‘It is estimated that up to 3 million people in the UK may have obstructive sleep apnea but have not yet been diagnosed.
“Tirzepatide has the potential to be the first pharmaceutical treatment… that could address the unmet need for people living with this condition.”
The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.