Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug reduces sleep apnea, study shows [Video]

Eli Lilly’s weight loss-related drug Zepbound could potentially be used to reduce the severity of sleep apnea in adults with obesity, according to a recent study. 

Results of a phase three clinical trial, published Wednesday, showed that injections of the drug, either 10 mg or 15 mg, “significantly reduced the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) compared to placebo.” 

Specifically, Lilly noted that tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound, reduced sleep apnea severity by up to nearly two-thirds in adults that have both obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep-related breathing disorder, and obesity.

OSA is caused by a complete or partial collapse of the upper airway during sleep. Its effects can lead to “apnea or hypopnea and a potential decrease in oxygen saturation and/or waking from sleep,” according to Lilly.

The disorder impacts 80 million adults in the U.S. and can result in “serious cardiometabolic complications, contributing to hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and …