Evidence receipt
SURMOUNT-OSA: what the trial found
A plain-language summary of one study: who took part, what they got, what it was compared with, what happened in each group, its limits and who paid for it. One trial. Results are group averages, not a prediction for any one person.
Study: SURMOUNT-OSA[1]
Does tirzepatide reduce the severity of obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity?
- Who was in it
- 469 adults with moderate-to-severe sleep apnea and obesity, without type 2 diabetes, in two trials (with and without CPAP)
- What they got
- Tirzepatide at the highest tolerated dose (10 or 15 mg) once a week
- Compared with
- Placebo
- How long
- 52 weeks
- What happened
- Breathing interruptions per hour (AHI) fell by 25.3 vs 5.3 (trial 1) and 29.3 vs 5.5 (trial 2) on tirzepatide vs placebo.
- Limits
- People with diabetes were excluded
- 52 weeks
- The effect may be largely through weight loss
- Funded by
- Eli Lilly
Summary by Joshua Nichvolodoff, from the published paper — not written by the study's authors. Clinical review: not yet reviewed by a clinician.
Sources
- Tirzepatide for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and obesity (SURMOUNT-OSA). New England Journal of Medicine, October 3, 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38912654/ · DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2404881 · PMID 38912654. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
Discussed in: Tirzepatide, explained · Zepbound, explained
General information, not medical advice.