In postmenopausal women on semaglutide, those also using menopause hormone therapy lost more weight (about 16% vs. 12% at a year). An early signal that hormones and weight meds may work together.
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Weight Loss Response to Semaglutide in Postmenopausal Women With and Without Hormone Therapy - Menopause, 2024 (PDF)
If you're postmenopausal and using (or considering) a GLP-1 like semaglutide, this study asks a practical question: does menopause hormone therapy change how well it works? The early answer - women on hormone therapy lost more.
Dr. Hammer's 5 Second Takeaways
Hormone therapy was linked to greater weight loss on semaglutide
Postmenopausal women using menopause hormone therapy (HT) plus semaglutide lost more than those on semaglutide alone - about 16% vs. 12% of body weight at 12 months.
The gap showed up early and held
The HT group was ahead at every check-in (3, 6, 9, and 12 months), and the difference persisted after adjusting for other factors.
More HT users hit meaningful milestones
A greater share of HT users reached both the 5% and 10% weight-loss marks at a year.
Both groups got healthier
Regardless of HT, both groups improved cardiometabolic markers (glucose, blood pressure, lipids) - the medication helped everyone.
It's an early signal, not the final word
This is a small, retrospective study - promising and biologically plausible, but it needs larger trials before drawing firm conclusions.
Put it into action: if you're navigating menopause and weight together, it's a conversation worth having with your clinician - your hormones and weight strategy may be connected.
Nerd-Out
Hurtado et al. (Menopause, 2024) - retrospective cohort of postmenopausal women treated with semaglutide for overweight/obesity for ≥3 months (16 on HT, 90 not). HT users had higher total body weight loss % at 3/6/9/12 months (7% vs 5%; 13% vs 9%; 15% vs 10%; 16% vs 12%; all significant), with the association maintained after adjusting for confounders, and a greater proportion reaching ≥5% and ≥10% TBWL. Both groups improved glucose, blood pressure, and lipids. Limitations: small HT subgroup and retrospective design.
Go to the Source:
This summary is drawn from "Weight loss response to semaglutide in postmenopausal women with and without hormone therapy use" by Hurtado and colleagues (Menopause, 2024; 31(4):266-274). The full paper is in the linked PDF above.