Am I a Candidate for Tirzepatide?

It’s a safe bet that most people who are overweight or obese would like to shed excess pounds and reduce their risks of serious health issues like heart disease and diabetes. But for many people, the problem is finding a safe, effective way to lose weight when diets and exercise just don’t seem to work.

In recent years, the introduction of glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) drugs — specifically semaglutide and tirzepatide — has revolutionized weight loss by helping women and men shed stubborn weight. Approved two years earlier than tirzepatide, semaglutide arguably has received the lion’s share of media attention, but tirzepatide offers great results, too — in some cases exceeding results seen with semaglutide.

At STL Medical Weight Loss, Joseph Moleski, DO, and Laura Howard, FNP, offer both semaglutide and tirzepatide to help patients lose weight successfully. Here, learn more about the second option — tirzepatide — and whether it might be a good choice for your weight-loss journey.

How tirzepatide works

GLP-1 medications were initially introduced to help manage diabetes. These drugs work by balancing blood sugar (glucose) and insulin, a hormone released by your pancreas. While GLP-1 drugs are very effective in managing diabetes, researchers noted that patients using the medications also lost weight, leading to their eventual use and approval as weight-loss medications.

Like semaglutide, tirzepatide mimics GLP-1 to help regulate blood sugar and insulin, decrease appetite, and slow gastric emptying so you feel fuller longer. However, it differs in a key way: Tirzepatide also mimics a second hormone called GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide). 

In your body, both GLP-1 and GIP are secreted in your gastrointestinal tract, working together to enhance metabolism and support weight loss. GIP is specifically useful in metabolizing fats or lipids.

Ideal candidates

Although tirzepatide can be an effective tool in weight management, it’s not a good choice for everyone seeking to lose weight. When deciding if tirzepatide therapy is something you’d like to pursue, it’s important to consider what makes an “ideal” candidate — and that starts by knowing your body mass index (BMI).

BMI is a ratio between your height and weight, and while it has its limitations, it’s the value used to determine eligibility for tirzepatide therapy. 

To be a candidate for tirzepatide treatment, your BMI must be greater than 30, the lowest BMI range for obesity. You can also be a candidate if your BMI is between 27-30 and you have a weight-related condition, like high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, or heart disease.

Tirzepatide should not be used by:

• Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding
• People with a history of pancreas problems
• People with gallbladder disease
• People with thyroid problems

If you’re allergic to any of the ingredients used in tirzepatide, then you wouldn’t be a candidate for therapy, either.

Like semaglutide, tirzepatide interacts with certain medications. If you use any medications or supplements, including dietary supplements, it’s extremely important to discuss them with your treatment provider during your initial evaluation to avoid potential complications.

Learn more about tirzepatide

Before recommending any weight-loss medication, we review your medical history and perform comprehensive physical and lab testing to ensure we recommend the most appropriate option. 

To learn more about tirzepatide and whether or not it’s a good choice to help you achieve your goals, call or book an appointment online with STL Medical Weight Loss at our Chesterfield, Missouri, practice today. Can’t make it to the office? We also offer telehealth services for patients in Missouri, Texas, Illinois, Kansas, Florida, Delaware, Arizona, New York, Tennessee, Ohio, Michigan, Nevada, and Washington State.