The Effects of Tirzepatide on Lipid Profile: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background: Tirzepatide is a novel dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP)-glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist being evaluated for the treatment of various metabolic disorders. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized data on the effects of tirzepatide on serum lipid levels. Methods: We systematically searched the PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov databases for relevant data from randomized controlled clinical trials. All articles were screened, reviewed, and extracted by at least two independent authors, with conflicts resolved by consensus. Four hundred and thirty-three records were identified in the initial literature search; 18 of them were identified for full-text review, and 14 of those were systematically reviewed and included in the analysis. The meta-analysis was performed using an inverse variance random-effects model. Results: Fourteen articles that reported data from 13 randomized controlled clinical trials were included in the review. Nine trials had a low risk of bias, two had a moderate risk, and two had a high risk of bias. The pooled analysis showed that tirzepatide was efficacious at improving all lipid markers, including cholesterol and triglycerides. Moreover, a clear dose response trend was visible across results from groups taking 5, 10, and 15 mg of tirzepatide. Conclusion: There is growing evidence to support the use of tirzepatide in patients with metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. Our results demonstrate that tirzepatide significantly improves all aspects of patient metabolism and might be superior in this regard to conventional agents such as insulin formulations or traditional GLP-1 agonists.