Hormonal
Tirzepatide treatment in people with type 2 diabetes shifts body fat distribution toward a more balanced pattern by significantly reducing visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and liver fat (LF) while preserving abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (aSAT) relative to the amount of weight lost.
If you have type 2 diabetes and are prescribed tirzepatide, expect significant reductions in dangerous visceral and liver fat. Importantly, the drug appears to preserve your subcutaneous fat (the fat under the skin) better than other weight-loss methods might, leading to a healthier overall fat distribution pattern. This shift occurs alongside weight loss and improves cardiometabolic risk markers.
In this exploratory analysis, treatment with tirzepatide in people with T2D resulted in a significant reduction of z-VAT and z-LF, while z-aSAT was increased from an initially negative value, suggesting a possible treatment-related shift towards a more balanced fat distribution pattern with prominent VAT and LF loss.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial (SURPASS-3) with MRI-measured outcomes and virtual control groups, though the fat distribution analysis is exploratory.
Source
Effect of tirzepatide on body fat distribution pattern in people with type 2 diabetes
Bertrand Cariou et al. · Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism · 2024
DOI 10.1111/dom.15566
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