Two studies found that certain obesity treatments can also reduce high blood pressure. A breakthrough in medicine.
Kassel – Adults who suffer from obesity and take medication to lose weight could experience additional positive effects on their health in the future. Two studies came to the conclusion that certain treatments also significantly reduce high blood pressure. Experts see the new observation as a major step forward in medicine, as blood pressure is one of the most important health factors.
One of the studies looked at people who received weekly injections of the drug tirzepatide. Tirzepatide is sold under different brand names to obesity patients and those affected by type 2 diabetes. The results were published in the journal at the beginning of February Hypertension published by the American Heart Association. It turned out that after taking it for nine months, not only was the weight of those affected by obesity reduced by up to 22 percent, but their blood pressure was also significantly reduced. The research was funded by the drug’s manufacturer. The drug itself was approved in November 2023 in the USA and now also in Europe.
New treatment with injections is said to have several positive effects on obesity patients
The greatest effect was seen in study participants who took the 15 milligrams. After nine months, their blood pressure fell by 8.0 mmHg. “An eight point difference is truly an impressive effect, rivaling or even surpassing many of our usual blood pressure medications,” said Dr. Harlan Krumholz to the US broadcaster CNN. He is a cardiologist at Yale University who was not involved in the research.
Despite the positive effects, the results of the study must initially be viewed with caution. Therefore, it cannot be clarified exactly whether the lower blood pressure was associated with a change in diet or with general weight loss. A direct link between the drug and lowering high blood pressure still needs to be proven in future research.
“It’s a new era”: Scientists see new studies on obesity as an important step
The second study was also carried out at the beginning of February Journal of the American College of Cardiology published. On the one hand, people who underwent bariatric surgery were examined – i.e. surgical measures related to changes in the gastrointestinal tract of obesity patients. For comparison, patients were observed who only took medication. The result: More than 80 percent of people who had bariatric surgery were able to reduce the number of blood pressure medications they took, compared to 14 percent of those who took medication alone.
Both study results need to be examined more closely in the future in order to come to solid conclusions. As a cardiologist at Yale University also emphasized to CNN, they provide initial, solid evidence. The connection between obesity and diseases such as high blood pressure is already known, but there has been a lack of effective treatments for obesity. “It’s a new era,” Krumholz said. “This is not a new finding, but now we have the tools – these anti-obesity drugs and surgery – that can have profound benefits.” (nz)