Tirzepatide Reduces Fat Mass and Provides Good Glycaemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes Patients Undergoing Haemodialysis: A Single-Centre Retrospective Study

Objective

Tirzepatide is an injectable peptide approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Its weight-loss effect primarily targets fat reduction; however, such effect on patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing haemodialysis (HD) has not been reported.

Methods

Nine patients with CKD undergoing HD received weekly tirzepatide doses (2.5–7.5 mg) once a week. Evaluations encompassed tirzepatide's impact on dry weight (DW) and body composition assessed at baseline and study conclusion using bioelectrical impedance analysis. This longitudinal study included nine patients, with a median age of 53 years and median HD duration of 4 years.

Results

Tirzepatide treatment significantly decreased glycated albumin compared with the value at baseline (22.7 ± 5.4 vs. 18.3 ± 2.5%, p = 0.028, respectively). Significant reductions were observed in DW (−1.0 kg, p = 0.024) and body mass index (−0.6 kg/m², p = 0.050) following tirzepatide administration. Total fat mass was also reduced, but not significantly (− 2.51% from baseline, p = 0.214). In contrast, skeletal muscle mass was not decreased (−1.02% from baseline, p = 0.722). No serious side effects other than nausea were observed during the study period.

Conclusion

Tirzepatide effectively provides good glycaemic control in T2DM patients undergoing HD, decreasing DW by reducing body fat mass without increasing frailty risk.