ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT07218445Updated Oct 6, 2026

The Effect of Tirzepatide on Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms and Biological Aging in Post-menopausal Women With Obesity

A Phase 4 interventional study of Tirzepatide and Placebo in Obesity and Menopause Hot Flashes, sponsored by Mayo Clinic. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to female participants aged 46 Years to 60 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-06.

Sponsored by Mayo Clinic · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Apr 2026; still recruiting 7 months later.
Updated Oct 6, 2026Eligibility revisedStudy contact changedGo to Updates ↓
Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
40
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
46 Years to 60 Years
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of tirzepatide on vasomotor symptoms and on measures of biological aging.

02

Conditions studied

  • Obesity
  • Menopause Hot Flashes

Keywords

  • Hot flashes
  • menopause
  • Tirzepatide
  • GLP
03

In context

Obesity

11,522 studies on the registry are indexed under Obesity; 2,033 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 40 is below the median of 67 across 9,006 interventional studies indexed under Obesity.

Browse Obesity studies →

Lead sponsor

Mayo Clinic is the lead sponsor of 3,269 studies on the registry; 672 are open to participants now.

Of its 452 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 321 (71%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

The criteria were revised on the registry on Oct 6, 2026. See what changed

Ages eligible
46 Years to 60 Years
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  1. Females
  2. Age 46-60 years old.
  3. ≥30 kg/m2 or BMI ≥27 kg/m2 in the presence of adiposity-associated diseases (hypertension, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease).
  4. Presence of bothersome hot flashes (an average of ≥ 28 episodes during a consecutive 2-week period with symptom severity sufficient to have prompted the participant to seek therapeutic treatment).
  5. Hot flashes must be present for >30 days prior to study entry.
  6. Willingness to self-inject drug
  7. Provided to be part of the study.
  8. Willingness and capability to follow an individualized hypocaloric diet designed to achieve an approximate energy deficit of 500 kcal/day relative to estimated total daily energy requirements. Daily energy requirements will be calculated using Harris-Benedict equation to estimate resting energy expenditure and multiplied by a sedentary physical activity factor of 1.2. Prescribed daily caloric intake will not be less than 1,000 kcal/day. Participants must also be willing to engage in at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity or greater physical activity.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria

  1. Current or recent use (past 4 weeks) treatment with menopausal hormone therapy.
  2. Any current, recent use (past 4 weeks), or planned use of:

    1. Estrogen-containing methods or menopausal hormone therapy (oral, transdermal, high dose vaginal ring, injection, pellets).
    2. Vaginal estrogen.
    3. Androgens.
    4. Progestogens.
  3. Current or recent use (past 4 weeks) treatment for menopausal symptoms with cognitive behavioral therapy and/or hypnosis.
  4. Current or recent use (past 4 weeks) of fezolinetant or elinzanetant.
  5. Menopause as a result of cancer treatments.
  6. Impaired renal function ( ≤30 ml/min/1.73 m²).
  7. Thyroid-stimulating hormone ≥7 with low free T4.
  8. Active inflammatory, , infectious, hepatic, gastrointestinal, , or uncontrolled psychiatric disease.
  9. >5% change in weight during the 3 months prior to screening and, or eight fluctuation of ≥20 pounds within the past 6 months (self-report).
  10. Other obesity medication was used within the past 3 months.
  11. History of bariatric surgery. Prior or planned surgical treatment for obesity (excluding liposuction or abdominoplasty performed > 1 year before screening).
  12. Past or intended endoscopic and/or device-based therapy or removal within last six months.
  13. Use of weight gain-promoting medications (including tricyclic antidepressants, atypical antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers), unless the participant has been receiving the medication at a stable dose for ≥3 months prior to enrollment and has maintained a stable body weight during that time
  14. Current or recent (within 3 months) use of chronic systemic therapy for over 2 weeks within the past 3 months.

16. Female who is pregnant, breastfeeding, or intends to become pregnant or is of and not using a highly effective contraceptive method.

15. to GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy as per Tirzepatide (Zepbound ®) label, including a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma; a history or diagnosis of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2; known to tirzepatide or any of its .

16. Currently enrolled in another clinical study involving an product or participated in one and received treatment (active or placebo) in the last 30 days.

17. Planned surgical procedures requiring general anesthesia or sedation during the study or within 2 weeks following the last dose of study drug.

Terms in these criteria, in plain language(12)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

GFR and eGFR (kidney filtering)

GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².

Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.

Autoimmune disease

A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.

Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.

Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

Corticosteroids (steroids)

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.

Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.

Childbearing potential

Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).

Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

Excipients

The other ingredients in a medicine besides the active drug, such as fillers, colours or preservatives.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
40 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Tirzepatide

    Participants will receive tirzepatide for 24 weeks, in addition to standard lifestyle modification recommendations

    Drug: Tirzepatide

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo

    Participants will receive a placebo for 24 weeks, in addition to standard lifestyle modification recommendations

    Drug: Placebo

Interventions

  • Tirzepatide will be administered with a starting dose of 2.5 mg weekly, subcutaneously injected. The dose will increase by 2.5 mg every 4 weeks until reaching 15 mg. Participants will be asked to follow lifestyle interventions: * Low-calorie diet based on their predicted by Harris Benedict resting energy expenditure minus 500 kcal per day * Physical activity: a goal of 10,000 steps or more per day * Exercise: a goal of 150 minutes or more of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (cardiovascular exercise) per week * Limited consumption of liquid calories (i.e. sodas, juices, alcohol, etc.).

  • DrugPlacebo

    A placebo for Tirzepatide will be administered with a starting dose of 2.5 mg weekly, subcutaneously injected. The dose will increase by 2.5 mg every 4 weeks until reaching 15 mg. Participants will be asked to follow lifestyle interventions: * Low-calorie diet based on their predicted by Harris Benedict resting energy expenditure minus 500 kcal per day * Physical activity: a goal of 10,000 steps or more per day * Exercise: a goal of 150 minutes or more of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (cardiovascular exercise) per week * Limited consumption of liquid calories (i.e. sodas, juices, alcohol, etc.).

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Vasomotor Symptoms Frequency

    Change in the frequency of self-reported daily average vasomotor symptoms from baseline to 24 weeks. Vasomotor symptoms will be captured for 2 weeks at baseline and 2 weeks at the end of the study.

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 weeks

  2. Change in Vasomotor Symptom Severity

    Change in self-reported daily vasomotor symptom severity from baseline to 24 weeks. Vasomotor symptoms will be captured for 2 weeks at baseline and at the end of the study. Severity will be classified as follows: Mild, sensation of heat without sweating/dampness; Moderate: sensation of heat with sweating/dampness, but able to continue current activity. May briefly fan yourself; Severe: sensation of intense heat with sweating causing disruption of current activity.

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 weeks

  3. Aging Biomarkers: Cellular Senescence Markers in Plasma

    Cellular senescence markers are measured in plasma samples to assess biological aging and cellular stress. These markers may include proteins associated with the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Quantification is performed using immunoassays. Higher levels of senescence markers indicate increased cellular senescence.

    Time frame: 24 weeks

  4. Difference between biological and chronological age

    Epigenetic clocks estimate biological age by analyzing DNA methylation patterns at specific CpG sites across the genome. Biological age estimates are compared to chronological age to assess aging acceleration or deceleration. Biological age greater than chronological age indicates accelerated biological aging and potential increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Primary measure is the difference (ΔAge) between biological and chronological ages = reported in years.

    Time frame: 24 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in Reactive hyperemic index

    Vascular function will be measured using the EndoPAT device to assesses reactive hyperemia index (RHI) from baseline to week 24 on treatment or placebo. RHI is automatically calculated through a computer algorithm by following the equation: \[(tested arm-post occlusion/tested arm-baseline)/(control arm-post occlusion/control arm-baseline)\] × baseline correction factor. Endothelial dysfunction is defined as having an RHI ratio of equal or less than 1.67.

    Time frame: Baseline, 12 weeks and 24 weeks

  2. Change in Augmentation Index percentage

    Augmentation Index (AIx): AIX uses applanation tonometry of the radial artery pulse, calibrated to resting brachial systolic and diastolic pressures (SphygmoCor XCEL, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN). Aortic systolic, diastolic, and pulse pressures will be derived from a synthesized aortic waveform using a validated mathematical transfer function. Augmentation pressure, reflecting the difference between aortic systolic pressure and the inflection point caused by the reflected wave, is influenced by arterial stiffness as well as factors like heart rate and ejection dynamics. AIx is calculated as augmentation pressure divided by aortic pulse pressure × 100%, adjusted to a heart rate of 75 bpm (AIx@75 bpm). Measurements will be performed in duplicate and averaged.

    Time frame: Baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks

  3. Change in Pulse Wave Velocity

    SphygmoCor estimates central arterial stiffness by calculating the speed at which the pressure wave travels between the carotid and femoral arteries using applanation tonometry and reported as the pulse wave velocity (PWV); PWV m/s

    Time frame: Baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks

  4. Change in Cardiometabolic Parameters: Blood Pressure

    Change in cardiometabolic parameters including blood pressure from baseline to week 24 on treatment or placebo. Measured in mmhg

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 weeks

  5. Change in Cardiometabolic Parameters: Fasting Glucose

    Change in cardiometabolic parameters including fasting glucose from baseline to week 24 on treatment or placebo. Measured in mg/dL

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 weeks

  6. Changes in Cardiometabolic Parameters: HbA1C

    Change in cardiometabolic parameters including HbA1C from baseline to week 24 on treatment or placebo. Measured in %

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 weeks

  7. Changes in Cardiometabolic Parameters: Lipoprotein profile

    Change in cardiometabolic parameters including Lipoprotein profile from baseline to week 24 on treatment or placebo. Measured in mg/dL

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 weeks

  8. Changes in Cardiometabolic Parameters: hsCRP

    Change in cardiometabolic parameters including hsCRP from baseline to week 24 on treatment or placebo. Measured in mg/L

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 weeks

  9. Change in Physical Function Measure: Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score.

    The SPPB is a standardized test that evaluates lower extremity function using three components: balance tests (standing in various positions), gait speed (walking a short distance), and chair stand (repeated standing from a seated position). Each component is scored from 0 to 4; the total score ranges from 0 to 12. Higher scores represent better physical function

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 weeks

  10. Change in Physical Function Measure: Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction in Balance (mCTSIB) performed on the Rehabilitation Artificial Physical Intelligence Database (RAPID) foot pressure mat

    The mCTSIB assesses balance under four sensory conditions: eyes open/closed on firm and foam surfaces. Testing is performed while standing on the RAPID foot pressure mat, which captures center of pressure and postural sway data. The primary measure is average sway area of the four sensory conditions. The sway area is the area which is required to correct equilibrium, representing the total area covered by postural sway, measured in square centimeters (cm²).

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 weeks

  11. Change in Physical Function Measure: Standing Chest Throw Test with a 2-kg Weighted Ball using Motion Sensor Technology (MST)

    This test evaluates upper body muscular power. Participants perform a two-handed chest throw of a 2-kg medicine ball from a standing position. The MST is used to record throw distance, velocity, and related performance metrics. The primary measure is Peak Power Score (W).

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 weeks

  12. Change in Physical Function Measure: Chair-to-Stand Tests using Motion Sensor Technology (MST)

    This test assesses lower body strength and function. Participants are instructed to stand up from a chair and sit back down five times without using their arms. The MST measures movement dynamics. The primary measure is peak power score (W).

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 weeks

  13. Change in Physical Function Measure: Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT)

    The 6MWT is a standardized submaximal exercise test used to assess functional aerobic capacity. Participants are instructed to walk as far as possible in six minutes along a flat, straight course. The total distance walked is recorded in feet. Longer walking distances indicate better aerobic capacity and endurance.

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 weeks

  14. Change in Physical Function Measure: Hand Grip Strength using a Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer

    Participants are instructed to squeeze the dynamometer with maximum effort, measured in kilograms. The highest value from multiple trials is recorded.

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 weeks

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

1 registry update since Sep 25, 2026
Eligibility
1 exclusion criterion removed
What changed in the criteria
Exclusion criteria
  • Removed10-year ASCVD risk > 7.5%.
Oct 6, 2026
Contact
Study contact changed: t•••@mayo.edu · •••4769→h•••@mayo.edu · •••5290. See the current contact
Oct 6, 2026
Site contacts
Changed at 1 site. See the sites
Show the site
  • Mayo Clinic in Florida · Jacksonville, United StatesContact t•••@mayo.edu · •••4769→h•••@mayo.edu · •••5290
Oct 6, 2026
Show all 1 update
  1. Oct 6, 2026
    Eligibility 1 exclusion criterion removed
    What changed in the criteria
    Exclusion criteria
    • Removed10-year ASCVD risk > 7.5%.
    Contact Study contact changed: t•••@mayo.edu · •••4769→h•••@mayo.edu · •••5290. See the current contact
    Site contacts Changed at 1 site. See the sites
    Show the site
    • Mayo Clinic in Florida · Jacksonville, United StatesContact t•••@mayo.edu · •••4769→h•••@mayo.edu · •••5290

From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07218445
Lead sponsor
Mayo Clinic
Responsible party
Chrisandra L. Shufelt, MD (Principal Investigator, Mayo Clinic) — Principal investigator
First posted
Oct 20, 2025
Start date
Apr 8, 2026
Primary completion
Sep 18, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Sep 18, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Oct 6, 2026

Study contacts

Jessica Hoag
Contact
hoag.jessica@mayo.edu
904-953-5290
Lauren Uy
Contact
uy.lauren@mayo.edu
904-953-5337
Chrisandra Shufelt, MD
principal investigator · Mayo Clinic

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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