---
title: "Semaglutide plus menopause hormone therapy linked to greater weight loss in midlife women"
id: "medical-news-today-0-ozempic-plus-hormone-therapy-may-help-boost-weight-loss-at-menopause"
canonical_url: "https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/medical-news-today-0-ozempic-plus-hormone-therapy-may-help-boost-weight-loss-at-menopause"
content_type: "clinical_feed_article"
specialty: "Endocrinology"
source_name: "Medical News Today"
source_url: "https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ozempic-plus-hormone-therapy-may-help-boost-weight-loss-at-menopause/"
published_at: "2026-10-21T14:30:00.000Z"
evidence_level: "Verified Feed"
license: "CC-BY-NC-4.0 / Informational Use"
---
# Semaglutide plus menopause hormone therapy linked to greater weight loss in midlife women
## Provenance & Clinical Metadata
- **Canonical URL:** https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/medical-news-today-0-ozempic-plus-hormone-therapy-may-help-boost-weight-loss-at-menopause
- **Specialty:** [Endocrinology](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/endocrinology.md)
- **Primary Source:** Medical News Today
- **Source URL:** [Original Journal Publication](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ozempic-plus-hormone-therapy-may-help-boost-weight-loss-at-menopause/)
- **Published At:** 2026-10-21T14:30:00.000Z
- **Evidence Rating:** Verified Feed
## Executive GIST (TL;DR)
- Researchers analyzed real-world health data from roughly 2,400 women over age 45 who were taking either **semaglutide** or **tirzepatide**, with some participants also receiving menopausal hormone therapy (**MHT**). - The cohort included midlife women using GLP-1–based therapies to manage overweight or obesity; the study was presented at The Menopause Society’s 2026 Annual Conference and is not yet peer reviewed. - Investigators reported that women on **semaglutide** who were also taking **MHT** experienced significantly greater and sustained weight loss compared with those not on hormone therapy. - For **tirzepatide**, the team observed an early greater weight loss when combined with **MHT**, but the final results did not reach statistical significance. - The lead author, Regina Castaneda, MD, cautioned that findings are hypothesis-generating and do not support prescribing **MHT** solely for weight management; MHT has defined clinical indications such as treating bothersome menopausal symptoms. - Authors proposed possible explanations for the tirzepatide findings, including a potential “ceiling effect” given tirzepatide’s larger weight-loss effect; the source did not provide complete detail on the mechanistic rationale or on dosing, duration, or other protocol specifics. - The study’s limitations include its presentation format (conference abstract), absence of peer review at the time of reporting, and reliance on observational, real-world clinical data; additional randomized, controlled data are required to confirm the associations reported.
## Clinical Analysis & Structured Key Points
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on October 21, 2026 — Fact checked by Kevin Cyr, MD ![Portrait of white middle-aged woman with ginger hair in her living-room](https://media.post.rvohealth.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/10/getty_2191183323_header_1296x728-1024x575.jpg)[Share on Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.medicalnewstoday.com%2Farticles%2Fozempic-plus-hormone-therapy-may-help-boost-weight-loss-at-menopause&media=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.post.rvohealth.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F3%2F2026%2F10%2Fgetty_2191183323_header_1296x728-1024x575.jpg&description=Menopause%3A%20Hormone%20therapy%20plus%20Wegovy%20linked%20to%20more%20weight%20loss "Share on Pinterest")Hormone therapy plus semaglutide resulted in greater weight loss at menopause in a new study. Pekic/ Getty Images * ****Menopause**** **typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.** * **Researchers estimate that 60%–70% of women gain weight during menopause.** * **Current treatment options for menopausal weight gain include menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), lifestyle changes, and GLP-1 medications.** * **A new study found that adding MHT may help improve weight loss in menopausal women taking certain types of GLP-1 medications.** [Menopause](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155651) — a life stage that marks the end of female reproductive years — tends to occur between [ages 45 and 55Trusted Source](https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/menopause/what-menopause). Although menopause symptoms can be different for each person, some commonly shared symptoms include [hot flashes](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322351), night sweats, mood swings, fatigue, [vaginal dryness](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321615), and weight gain. “Weight gain is a common concern among midlife women,” [Regina Castaneda](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Regina-Castaneda-3), MD, postdoctoral research fellow in the Division of General Internal Medicine, Women’s Health, at Mayo Clinic Florida, told _Medical News Today_. > “Although aging is the primary driver, the menopause transition also plays a role. As [estrogen](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/277177) levels decline, women tend to lose lean muscle while gaining fat mass, fat shifts toward [visceral deposits](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/body-fat-distributing-around-belly), and resting energy expenditure falls. Menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats, may further reduce physical activity and impair metabolic health.” > – Regina Castaneda, MD Researchers estimate that between [60%-70% of women](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9258798/) gain weight during menopause. Current treatment options for menopausal weight gain include [menopausal hormone therapy (MHT)Trusted Source](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41883510/), lifestyle changes like following a [healthy diet](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13191392/) and getting enough [exercise](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9864448/), and prescription weight-loss medications including [glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12908505/). Castaneda is the lead author of a study recently presented at The Menopause Society’s [2026 Annual Conference](https://menopause.org/annual-meetings/2026-annual-meeting), which found adding MHT may help improve weight loss in menopausal women taking certain types of GLP-1 medications. The study is yet to undergo peer review. ## Semaglutide vs tirzepatide with or without MHT For this study, researchers analyzed health data for about 2,400 over the age of 45 who were taking either [semaglutide](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/drugs-semaglutide) (the active ingredient in [Ozempic](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/drugs-ozempic) and [Wegovy](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/drugs-wegovy)) or [tirzepatideTrusted Source](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36251836/) (the active ingredient in [Zepbound](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/drugs-zepbound) and [Mounjaro](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/drugs-mounjaro)). Some study participants were taking MHT, while others were not. “Increasingly, midlife women are turning to GLP-1–based therapies such as semaglutide and tirzepatide to manage overweight or obesity,” Castaneda said. “At the same time, many encounter claims in the news and on social media that menopause hormone therapy can ‘boost’ the effectiveness of these medications, despite limited supporting evidence.” “To our knowledge, this is the largest study comparing weight-loss outcomes with semaglutide and tirzepatide among midlife women with and without menopause hormone (therapy), drawing on real-world clinical data,” she added. ![JOIN NOW](https://i0.wp.com/healthline-activation-prod.healthline.com/driver-images/menopause%20women%20with%20fan%20standard%20driver%20image.png) HEALTHLINE NEWSLETTER Get Our Menopause Newsletter Receive expert advice, tips for navigating menopause, and the latest on effective remedies delivered straight to your inbox. Enter your email JOIN NOW Your [privacy](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/about/privacy-notice) is important to us ## MHT with semaglutide linked to greater, sustained weight loss At the study’s conclusion, researchers discovered that MHT was linked to a significantly greater and sustained weight loss in participants taking semaglutide. **“While encouraging, these results should be viewed as hypothesis-generating,” Castaneda said. “They do not mean that hormone therapy should be prescribed solely to improve weight-loss outcomes. Menopause hormone therapy has specific clinical indications, such as bothersome menopausal symptoms, and weight management is not one of them.”** “That said, when hormone therapy is clinically indicated, relieving menopausal symptoms can meaningfully improve a woman’s quality of life,” she continued. “This, in turn, may help her stay engaged with diet and physical activity, which remain a vital part of any weight-loss journey.” ## No ‘statistically significant’ weight loss from tirzepatide and MHT When looking at tirzepatide, while researchers report study participants taking this particular GLP-1 medication initially showed greater weight loss when using MHT, the end results did not reach statistical significance. Castaneda said there are two possible explanations for these findings. **“The first is the ceiling effect,” she explained. “Tirzepatide produces substantially greater weight loss on it
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