4 Potential Health Benefits of GLP-1 Drugs (Beyond Weight Loss) During Menopause
Published on September 28, 2026
by
Deena Adimoolam, MD
Women ages 50 to 64 reported the highest rate of GLP-1 use of any age group in a 2025 survey, with 20 percent saying they had used a GLP-1 drug at least once. While GLP-1s have been shown to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes and lower cardiometabolic risk, there’s emerging evidence that these drugs may help women in menopause in particular.
On average, menopause happens at age 52 in the United States and is marked by a major decline in ovarian production of estrogen and progesterone. Menopause brings about metabolic changes, which can affect how the body stores fat, as well as changes in heart health, sleep, joint health, and mood. Although menopausal women haven’t been specifically studied in many GLP-1 trials, there is emerging research looking at how these drugs affect this group. In a small retrospective study published in 2026, postmenopausal women taking tirzepatide for overweight or obesity who were also using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) experienced greater weight loss than those not using hormone therapy. Plus, this group saw improvements in their blood sugar, blood pressure, and liver enzymes. “Many of the metabolic changes that can become more prevalent around menopause — including insulin resistance, changes in lipid profiles, increased visceral adiposity (abdominal fat), and cardiovascular risk — overlap with areas where GLP-1 medications have demonstrated benefit in appropriately selected populations,” says Jocelyn Jarick, a menopause-certified provider with Cordillera Wellness Collective in Sacramento, California.
It's best to think of GLP-1s as tools that can improve metabolic health during midlife rather than as specific menopause treatments. “The emerging research is exciting, but we need more studies specifically designed around perimenopausal and postmenopausal women before we can confidently attribute menopause-specific benefits to these medications,” says Samihah Ahmed, MD, an endocrinologist at Northwell Long Island Jewish Forest Hills and Katz Institute for Women's Health in Glendale, New York.
The following are some potential benefits beyond weight loss.
Next up video playing in 10 seconds
How Do Fluctuating Hormones During Menopause Affect Diabetes?
Endocrinologist Deena Adimoolam, MD, explains how hormonal changes in menopausal women can affect blood sugar levels, weight gain, and sleep issues that can lead to or exacerbate diabetes.
Read More1. Cholesterol Improvements
Cholesterol levels may change during menopause. “We see increases in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides as estrogen levels decline, although aging itself also contributes to these changes,” Dr. Ahmed says.
Estrogen helps regulate lipid metabolism, including by increasing LDL receptors. When estrogen declines during menopause, LDL and triglyceride levels tend to rise. Research has shown that tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) can improve several lipid measurements, although these studies were not designed specifically around menopause.
It’s possible that the cholesterol-lowering benefit may extend to women going through menopause. “However, we still don’t have enough menopause-specific research to say that GLP-1s should be prescribed specifically to treat the rise in cholesterol associated with menopause,” Ahmed says.
2. Greater Blood Sugar Control
Declining estrogen during the menopausal transition is associated with changes in body fat distribution and metabolic health. Many women experience greater abdominal fat accumulation and worsening insulin sensitivity.
With weight loss, “GLP-1–based therapies can improve many of those metabolic risk factors by improving glucose control and insulin sensitivity and, in appropriate patients, lowering blood pressure and improving aspects of the lipid profile,” Ahmed says.
The aforementioned study showed women going through menopause who took HRT plus tirzepatide saw blood sugar improvements.
3. Lower Blood Pressure
Blood pressure often rises with age and around the menopause transition because of a combination of hormonal, metabolic, and lifestyle factors.
GLP-1s have been associated with modest reductions in blood pressure, and cardiovascular benefits have been demonstrated in some high-risk populations. It’s reasonable to expect similar blood-pressure lowering benefits among menopausal women who take GLP-1s to treat obesity or diabetes, Ahmed says. One small retrospective study of postmenopausal women found that those who took semaglutide for overweight or obesity saw improvements to cardiometabolic markers, including their blood pressure.
But it hasn’t been studied among women of normal weight without diabetes. “A plausible mechanism isn't the same as proof, and we need dedicated studies in menopausal women before drawing real conclusions,” says Rekha Kumar, MD, an endocrinologist and obesity medicine expert at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.
4. Decreased Inflammation
Changes in estrogen during menopause may contribute to changes in inflammatory and metabolic pathways. At the same time, increases in visceral fat can promote a more pro-inflammatory environment. “So, theoretically, reducing visceral adiposity and improving metabolic health could be particularly meaningful during this stage of life,” Ahmed says.
Research in adults with overweight or obesity suggested semaglutide may reduce inflammation. A meta-analysis published in 2026 found significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation) for those taking semaglutide versus the placebo. “However, these studies were not designed specifically around menopause, and we need to be careful not to get ahead of the evidence,” Ahmed says.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
- Bozick R et al. New Weight Loss Drugs: GLP-1 Agonist Use and Side Effects in the United States. RAND Health Quarterly. December 16, 2025.
- What Is Menopause? National Institute on Aging. October 16, 2024.
- Castaneda R et al. The Role of Menopause Hormone Therapy in Modulating Tirzepatide-Associated Weight Loss in Postmenopausal Women with Overweight or Obesity: A Retrospective Cohort Study. The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women's Health. January 22, 2026.
- Witting C et al. Review of Lipid-Lowering Therapy in Women from Reproductive to Postmenopausal Years. Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine. May 19, 2022.
- Mahar MU et al. The Effects of Tirzepatide on Lipid Profile: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal Of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome. December 30, 2024.
- The Link Between Menopause and Diabetes. The Ohio State University. March 4, 2025.
- GLP-1 Agonists. Cleveland Clinic. July 3, 2023.
- Casler K. Menopause and High Blood Pressure. The Ohio State University. June 24, 2025.
- Ribeiro-Silva JC et al. The Blood Pressure Lowering Effects of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists: A Mini-Review of the Potential Mechanisms. Current Opinion in Pharmacology. April 2023.
- Hurtado MD et al. Weight Loss Response to Semaglutide in Postmenopausal Women With and Without Hormone Therapy Use. Menopause. April 1, 2024.
- Salamon M. Beyond Hot Flashes. Harvard Health Publishing. September 1, 2022.
- Milluzzo A et al. Effects of Subcutaneous Semaglutide on Weight Loss and Inflammatory Markers in Adults with Overweight or Obesity Without Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Obesity. August 29, 2026.
Meet Our Experts
Deena Adimoolam, MD
Medical Reviewer
Moira Lawler
Author
Moira Lawler is a journalist who has spent more than a decade covering a range of health and lifestyle topics, including women's health, nutrition, fitness, mental health, and trav...