Imaging offers new insight into how GLP-1 medications trigger weight loss
Imaging data on the underlying weight loss mechanisms of tirzepatide are offering new insight into how the popular GLP-1 works.
Presented during ENDO—the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society—the findings suggest that tirzepatide might play a role in activating metabolic activity in brown adipose tissue. This tissue is thought to be most impacted by cold, as it works to keep the body warm, which also results in calorie burn. Experts involved in the study contend their new findings offer valuable insight into how the GLP-1 class of drugs aids in weight loss beyond appetite suppression.
“In the TABFAT trial, we asked a different question: beyond eating less, does tirzepatide also change how the body burns energy—specifically through brown adipose tissue, a metabolically active type of fat that produces heat and consumes calories?” Rok Herman, MD, from the department of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolic diseases at University Medical Center Ljubljana in Slovenia, and colleagues said in a news announcement.
For the study, researchers used PET/CT and MRI to monitor brown adipose tissue activity before and after completing 24 weeks of a GLP-1 regimen. Part of the group received a placebo instead.
Scans revealed a significant increase in activity in the GLP-1 group compared to controls. Participants who were given tirzepatide displayed an uptick of over 20% (65% vs. 41%) in brown adipose tissue activity. This suggests the drug can trigger an increase in metabolic calorie burning, improving blood sugar and weight loss beyond what appetite suppression alone can achieve.
“We found that tirzepatide significantly increased brown adipose tissue activity and volume, and it also showed potential signs of converting white subcutaneous fat into more metabolically active ‘beige’ fat,” Herman said. “We were also encouraged by the consistency of the signal across other imaging modalities employed in the study that may capture different component of brown fat biology.”
These findings could support future development of anti-obesity drugs, the group suggested.
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In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.