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Efficacy of tirzepatide in glycemic control and weight management in adults with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of real-world studies.
Postgrad Med J · 2026
Last updated 2026-05-28In real-world studies of adults with type 2 diabetes, tirzepatide reduced blood sugar control (measured by HbA1c) by an average of 0.91% and led to a weight loss of 9.7 kg over 3 to 18 months. About 64% of users reached a target blood sugar level below 7%, and 47% lost at least 5% of their starting weight.
AI summary of the abstract below.
| Journal | Postgrad Med J, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Citations | 0 |
| Molecules | tirzepatide |
| Conditions studied | Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity |
Abstract
A systematic review and meta-analysis of real-world studies on tirzepatide is essential to strengthen evidence of its effectiveness in improving glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and body weight in patients with type 2 diabetes. 13 real-world studies (N = 89 296; duration 3-18 months) with moderate to serious bias revealed a mean HbA1c reduction of 0.91% (95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.04 to -0.79), weight loss of 9.7 kg (95% CI: -14.05 to -5.35), and body mass index decrease of 2.09 kg/m2 (95% CI: -3.27 to -0.92). Overall, 64% of tirzepatide users reached HbA1c <7%. Furthermore, tirzepatide lowered HbA1c (mean difference [MD] -0.38%; 95% CI: -0.44 to -0.33) and body weight (MD -6.27 kg; 95% CI: -9.22 to -0.33) more than the control. 47%, 23%, 9%, and 4% of tirzepatide users lost ≥5%, ≥10%, ≥15%, and ≥ 20% of their baseline weight, respectively. Tirzepatide's effects on HbA1c and weight in observational studies support clinical trial findings.
Verbatim abstract via PubMed 41536268 ↗
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