Tirzepatide for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obesity

Plain-language summary

This 2024 Phase III randomized controlled trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine evaluated tirzepatide in patients with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity. At 52 weeks, tirzepatide reduced the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) by approximately 25 events per hour compared to roughly 5 events per hour with placebo, a clinically meaningful difference. The study also found reductions in body weight, hypoxic burden, hsCRP, and systolic blood pressure, along with improved sleep-related patient-reported outcomes.