Eli Lilly's ingredient for Type 2 diabetes medication Mounjaro and its new weight loss drug, Zepbound, significantly lowered patients' blood pressure by up to 10.6 mmHg, according to a new study published Feb. 5.
The study recruited about 500 adult patients with a body mass index at or more than 27, or the overweight range. Compared to a placebo, tirzepatide — the active pharmaceutical ingredient of Mounjaro and Zepbound — reduced blood pressure for participants taking 5, 10 and 15 milligrams each week. The patients were not diabetic and either had normal blood pressure or high blood pressure that was under control.
During the 36-week trial, systolic blood pressure dropped between 7.4 and 10.6 mmHg. On average, heart rate increased, too.
"Correlation and mediation analyses indicated that tirzepatide-induced body weight reduction effects were associated with [blood pressure] reductions," the researchers said in conclusion, but tirzepatide "may also have effects on BP independent of weight loss."
The results are part of a larger Eli Lilly-sponsored phase 3 study, which is evaluating Zepbound's efficacy in reducing weight and its safety profile.