Introduction The dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist (RA) tirzepatide is a novel incretin-based medication that can effectively treat obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiometabolic disease. With the growing obesity epidemic in the USA, patients are increasingly discussing the role of the GIP/GLP-1RA with clinicians. Objective Patient perceptions prior to GIP/GLP-1RA agonist initiation remain unclear. This single-center, prospective, cross-sectional survey study assessed the baseline patient understanding of the efficacy and safety of tirzepatide. Methods One hundred and one patients not previously on GLP-1 or GIP/GLP-1 agonists who self-expressed interest in tirzepatide completed a brief survey at a multi-provider cardiology practice. Results Patients estimated an average weight loss of 17.38%, similar to the pooled mean of 17.73% from the SURMOUNT-1 and SURMOUNT-2 trials. The perceived side effect rate (36.68%) was substantially lower than trial-reported rates (78.14%), while the perceived discontinuation rate (15.45%) exceeded reported values (5.72%). Patients also estimated a relative weight rebound of 15.00%, which was markedly lower than the 53.32% observed in the SURMOUNT-4 trial. Finally, only 27.70% of the patients perceived tirzepatide as likely to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE-3; nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, and cardiovascular death). Conclusion These results highlight discrepancies between patient perceptions and clinical data, revealing gaps in understanding tirzepatide’s efficacy and safety profile. Improved patient education and guidance may improve patient confidence, treatment adherence, and clinical outcomes.
Guo et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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