Study warns Mounjaro users of reversing side effect if they stop taking it
Since their sudden surge in popularity, users of weight loss jabs have had concerns over what happens if they ever stop taking them.
And last month, a damning new study has finally provided an answer - though, it's not one that many will be thrilled with.
Despite first being introduced as a means of tackling the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, weight loss drugs have raked in global praise for their ability to suppress a person's appetite.
Brands like Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy do this by mimicking the body's natural hormones, sending a signal to the brain that the person is full, and as such, cutting down how much food they're consuming.
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Despite widespread success, weight loss drugs have also sparked concern over their unnerving side effects, like nausea, diarrhoea, constipation and vomiting, as well as sagging skin and muscle mass loss.
Another worry often voiced by people who are tempted to start taking Mounjaro is whether or not they'll pile back on all the weight they've lost, if they stop using it.
Unfortunately, according to a study funded by the brand's manufacturer Eli Lilly, this very much looks to be the case.
As well as likely regaining a huge proportion of the mass they shook off, users who stop are also susceptible to losing out on the handful of heart-health benefits the drugs boasted.
Researchers took data from 308 adults with health issues - mostly women with an average age of 47, none of whom had diabetes - taking Mounjaro (also known as tirzepatide) as part of a large, international study.
They initially found that the medication - when paired with dietary advice and moderate exercise - was able to see patients shed up to 10 percent of their overall body weight in nine months when taken weekly.
After being switched to placebo injections after a year, as much as 82 percent of participants saw at least a quarter of the weight they'd lost pile back on.
On top of this, 24 percent remained three-quarters of the weight they'd lost in this time. Nine percent of participants were also found to have regained their entire body weight.
In those who lost weight, they also began suffering with the health conditions like blood pressure issues, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and an excessive waist size the medication had helped manage.
As such, the findings have since left researchers wondering exactly how long a patient needs to continue using injectables to reap the rewards for the longest time, without them being a life-long form of medication.
The study has also raised questions as to whether lifestyle changes are sufficient enough at keeping the weight off once the medication has run its course.
The authors of the investigation told press: "Our findings support the need for continued obesity treatment in adults living with obesity."
This assertion also falls in line with a comment previously made by Professor Jonathan Benger - the chief medical officer of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
"Successful weight management doesn’t end when medication stops or when someone completes a behavioural programme," he warned, as per the Manchester Evening News.
"We know that the transition period after treatment is crucial, and people need structured support to maintain the positive changes they’ve made."
Benger continued: "This new standard makes sure services provide that vital continuity of care, and it supports the NHS 10 Year Plan to shift from a 'sickness service' to a genuine health service focused on prevention."
Rhianna Benson