‘Miracle’ GLP-1 agonist weight-loss drugs help US woman shed 18kg, stop her prediabetes

Semaglutide and tirzepatide helped Texas woman Kathryn Dean lose 18kg and keep the weight off, and she is no longer diagnosed as prediabetic

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Drugs semaglutide and tirzepatide, developed to fight diabetes but with powerful weight-loss effects, were key to property agent Kathryn Dean (above) achieving long-term weight loss. Photo: Instagram/@kathryndeanrealtor

Published: 7:15am, 22 Oct 2024Updated: 7:51am, 22 Oct 2024

For 52-year-old American property agent and aesthetician Kathryn Dean, diabetes drugs semaglutide and tirzepatide were key to achieving long-term weight loss – and preventing type-2 diabetes.

From the age of 37, Dean’s weight began creeping up until, at 46, she was at her heaviest: 79.8kg (176 pounds), about 18kg higher than her average adult weight.

She was diagnosed as prediabetic six years ago. With this condition, also known as impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), blood sugar levels are higher than normal, although not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, based in Belgium, an estimated 300 million people have prediabetes worldwide. Risk factors include being overweight, eating an unhealthy diet, and getting little to no exercise. Having a family member with type 2 diabetes can also raise the risk of prediabetes.

Kathryn Dean (far right) with other luxury property agents in March, 2020 – three years before she started using semaglutide. Photo: Instagram/kathryndeanrealtor

A recent study from Chinese University of Hong Kong and Dr Peter Tong of the Hong Kong Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, published by The Economist Intelligence Unit, found that there is a significant underestimation of prediabetes and diabetes in Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong, according to the report, every year around one in 10 people with IGT goes on to be diagnosed with diabetes, and many studies have documented younger populations progressively becoming diabetic when their IGT is undiagnosed or uncontrolled.