AMRA Medical’s Innovative Fat Z-Score Biomarkers Show Tirzepatide Treatment is Associated with a Potential Targeted Effect on Visceral Fat and Liver Fat

Researchers from AMRA Medical, a leading health informatics company providing body composition analysis through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), together with Eli Lilly, and researchers from Nantes Université, University Hospitals Cleveland, and Linköping University used visceral-, subcutaneous-, and liver fat z-scores derived from MRI to investigate changes in fat distribution patterns in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) participating in SURPASS-3 MRI.

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Absolute (or percent) change in body weight and/or BMI are still typical endpoints in clinical trials evaluating treatments for obesity and related disorders. However, the research team’s recent findings from the SURPASS-3 MRI study suggest that pharmacological treatments for T2D may alter the fat distribution pattern in various ways - independent of changes in body weight. For this reason, fat distribution profiling through personalized z-score assessment would represent an attractive and modifiable endpoint for future therapeutic efficacy trials in obesity and related disorders.

The personalized fat z-scores were introduced through research published in 2023 linking fat distribution patterns, as described by the z-scores, to specific cardiometabolic disease risk profiles in the general population. This was quickly followed by Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases (SOARD) publishing results on risk-stratification of obesity class I & II by the fat z-scores in the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) guidelines/statements journal section of SOARD. (Read more about z-score use in risk-stratification here).

The current exploratory analysis of data from Lilly’s SURPASS-3 MRI study, described changes in the fat z-scores in people with T2D following treatment with once-weekly tirzepatide (5, 10 or 15 mg dose) or once-daily basal insulin degludec for 52 weeks. The results showed that treatment with tirzepatide was associated with a significant reduction in visceral fat z-score (-0.18 SD) and liver fat z-score (-0.54 SD), while the subcutaneous fat z-score increased from an initially negative value (+0.11 SD) - suggesting a therapeutically-induced shift towards a better-balanced body fat distribution with prominent visceral and liver fat loss.

During follow-up of interventions that induce weight reduction, it has been difficult to determine whether a concurrent reduction of, e.g., visceral fat was in line with the amount of weight lost, or if there was larger reduction than expected. The significant reduction of visceral fat and liver fat z-scores observed with tirzepatide in SURPASS-3 MRI indicates a potential targeted effect beyond that expected by the magnitude of weight reduction.

Read the full publication titled ‘Effect of tirzepatide on body fat distribution pattern in people with type 2 diabetes’here.

About AMRA Medical

AMRA Medical is a health informatics company at the forefront of medical imaging and precision medicine. The company has developed a new global standard in body composition analysis, delivering multiple fat and muscle biomarkers with unrivalled accuracy and precision – all from a rapid whole-body MRI scan. AMRA offers clinical services and research services to support transformative care and vital decision-making, from clinical research to clinical care.

Learn more about AMRA Medical’s MRI-based solutions at https://amramedical.com/solutions or connect with our team of experts for a detailed discussion at info@amramedical.com.

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Contact information

AMRA Medical
Marie Börjesson, VP Brand & Marketing
0046 70 628 1977
marie.borjesson@amramedical.com