Peptides and cholesterol

[sean326]

A search with Google Gemini returned this regarding lipid profile actions with tirzepatide and retatrutide:

Comparison Summary ​

Feature Tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound) Retatrutide (Experimental) HbA1c Reduction 2.0% – 2.4% (Highly Potent) 2.0% – 2.2% (Comparable) Triglyceride Reduction ~15% – 25% Up to 40% LDL / non-HDL Reduction ~6% – 9% Up to 26% (non-HDL) Primary Strength Established safety; superior glucose control Unprecedented weight loss; superior liver fat reduction

This is why I'm here. A1C reduction and improvement in lipid profiles. I'm searching for the right dosage of reta for me, as weight reduction is not my main goal. I also think tirz actually might be the best for what I am looking for.

I knew about the LDL reduction with Reta, didn't think about or look into the triglyceride reduction, that would be a great addition! Mine has historically been higher than I want it to be and I have blood tests coming up so we'll see if it's improved. I've been on Reta for about 3 months.

 

[Chili777]

I knew about the LDL reduction with Reta, didn't think about or look into the triglyceride reduction, that would be a great addition! Mine has historically been higher than I want it to be and I have blood tests coming up so we'll see if it's improved. I've been on Reta for about 3 months.

My cholesterol readings were all down last month. My triglycerides were as high as 700 a year ago, and now 128. LDL is 56 and HDL was 37. HDL is slightly low and my doc said no worries, this is great.

 

[randompersonrandom]

Man, I hope tirz has some effect. My cholesterol shot up fairly suddenly, and I refused statins. "No. I'ma try and get some weight off." Took fifty pounds off. My retest is next week. If it's still bad, then I gotta either say yes to statins or no to cigarettes. I'm gonna have to do that second one sooner or later anyway, but man I hope it's later. I'm not ready.

 

[Chili777]

The best thing I did to lower my triglycerides on my own was to eliminate as many sources of High Fructose Corn Syrup in my diet as possible and it's everywhere. They didn't start falling until then. I think it's poison.

 

[latviantower]

I think it's poison.

Truth.

 

[MsGizmo]

Man, I hope tirz has some effect. My cholesterol shot up fairly suddenly, and I refused statins. "No. I'ma try and get some weight off." Took fifty pounds off. My retest is next week. If it's still bad, then I gotta either say yes to statins or no to cigarettes. I'm gonna have to do that second one sooner or later anyway, but man I hope it's later. I'm not ready.

I quit smoking 16 years ago using patches. It wasn't easy and throughout the process I did light up every once and awhile. The key to my success was to not quit quitting. When I gave in to the addiction and had a smoke I went right back to getting a patch on.

 

[Zydeceltico]

Man, I hope tirz has some effect. My cholesterol shot up fairly suddenly, and I refused statins. "No. I'ma try and get some weight off." Took fifty pounds off. My retest is next week. If it's still bad, then I gotta either say yes to statins or no to cigarettes. I'm gonna have to do that second one sooner or later anyway, but man I hope it's later. I'm not ready.

I lost 50 between June and November last year and bad lipids did go down a lot - but not nearly enough and I had to have a stent placed. I also started a statin and went to nicotine patches from cigarettes and LDL, triglycerides, and ApoB all halved in a month. Tirz got me headed the right direction but it was the statin and no smokes that got me to healthy. Now I just need to quit the patches and gum. Frickin' hard.

 

[randompersonrandom]

I lost 50 between June and November last year and bad lipids did go down a lot - but not nearly enough and I had to have a stent placed. I also started a statin and went to nicotine patches from cigarettes and LDL, triglycerides, and ApoB all halved in a month. Tirz got me headed the right direction but it was the statin and no smokes that got me to healthy. Now I just need to quit the patches and gum. Frickin' hard.

NO, I do not want to hear this. Since there's a nonzero chance you and I are secret half-siblings (my father wasn't much of a traveller, but I don't know that I'd put it past him), the possibility that it may take the same combo to get our cholesterol down feels higher and I don't wanna.

 

[cujet]

Data point of one. Reta did reduce my cholesterol a bit, 255 to 229. HDL, 60 to 49 and 157 to 149. Not enough to bring me out of the 'danger red' zone on my labs.

Triglycerides are still way up, despite 100% carnivore diet, zero carbs. 200 down to 171. Not exactly earth shattering.

I've lost 65 pounds so far. A1c is 5.6 on Reta. Although my A1c has never been stupidly high, due to carnivore/zero carb.

 

[CycleSloth]

Here's another data point (see table below).

I got my bloods done in October 2025 before starting Retatrutide. I started Reta in early March on a very small dose of 1mg/week and still on that currently as I've lost 12lbs and weight is continuing to decrease - I am very happy with this decrease in just 6 weeks. I then got my bloods taken on 9th April and it shows a fairly significant reduction in cholesterol.

I was very curious to see how a combination of Reta & eating-less affected my lipids.

Still working on getting LDL a bit lower, but will get my bloods done in another 6 months and report back!

NOTE: I've used chatgpt to produce the table as the UK uses different units (mmol/L) whereas many others use mg/dL.

 

[Researcher6076]

Wow what you posted here is interesting. So is it that Reta seems to do better with lipid panels so far in the trials even more than Tirz?

Mechanistically, retatrutide burns fat more than tirzepatide. It creates some small improvements in visceral fat. Burning up some fat will. Improve your lipids.

 

[CathyGoesFar]

I don't have typical high cholesterol but I can add a data point.

I have familial hypercholesterolemia(high lifetime ldl, low hdl, low lipo(a), mom died of heart attack at 39 years old). I have seen no reduction in total or ldl cholesterol on tirzepatide and I'm now beginning the process of fighting the VA to adequately treat it.

 

[RubbaDubba1]

I don't have typical high cholesterol but I can add a data point.

I have familial hypercholesterolemia(high lifetime ldl, low hdl, low lipo(a), mom died of heart attack at 39 years old). I have seen no reduction in total or ldl cholesterol on tirzepatide and I'm now beginning the process of fighting the VA to adequately treat it.

I recognize that, I ran across it when I was researching Apo(b) gene. My dad had 3 strokes, 1 heart attack, 1 aortic aneurism and a good ole brain aneurism. I Have a good amount of Heart Disease, from both sides of the family as well. I always had decent Cholesterol, but LDL was always on the high side.

Anyways got the Apo(B) checked and I'm good there, my last Cholesterol was HDL 115, Triglycerides 60, LDL 92. My HDL has gone up like 40% and LDL has dropped over 30%, my Triglycerides have been fairly stable. Certainly losing the weight, lifestyle etc is part of that. But the Retatrutide, is when my numbers really changed alot.

I've had a Pulmonary Embolism, enlarged heart, stress tests, I take a mild blood thinner & Tadalafil to help prevent any problems in the future. I'm staying on the Reta, as long as I can get my hands on it. I don't know if Retatrutide is something you can look at, but if you research it. You'll see what it's done to people's Lipid profiles.

 

[CathyGoesFar]

I recognize that, I ran across it when I was researching Apo(b) gene. My dad had 3 strokes, 1 heart attack, 1 aortic aneurism and a good ole brain aneurism. I Have a good amount of Heart Disease, from both sides of the family as well. I always had decent Cholesterol, but LDL was always on the high side.

Anyways got the Apo(B) checked and I'm good there, my last Cholesterol was HDL 115, Triglycerides 60, LDL 92. My HDL has gone up like 40% and LDL has dropped over 30%, my Triglycerides have been fairly stable. Certainly losing the weight, lifestyle etc is part of that. But the Retatrutide, is when my numbers really changed alot.

I've had a Pulmonary Embolism, enlarged heart, stress tests, I take a mild blood thinner & Tadalafil to help prevent any problems in the future. I'm staying on the Reta, as long as I can get my hands on it. I don't know if Retatrutide is something you can look at, but if you research it. You'll see what it's done to people's Lipid profiles.

I just started reta. Unfortunately it's not going to be enough of a drop for me even if I get the best results seen in the study. With me having FH and a high lifetime LDL I should be aiming for under 90 LDL and ideally 70.

Currently at 255 LDL, 23 HDL, hs-CRP 12, ApoB 183. I actually had worse cholesterol numbers when I was a 21 year old active and fit soldier eating a healthy diet so in my case it's genetics.

I just started Repatha(paying out of pocket $240 a month ) and ezetimibe. Whatever reta brings to the table will be welcomed though. I could use every little bit.

 

[RubbaDubba1]

I just started reta. Unfortunately it's not going to be enough of a drop for me even if I get the best results seen in the study. With me having FH and a high lifetime LDL I should be aiming for under 90 LDL and ideally 70.

Currently at 255 LDL, 23 HDL, hs-CRP 12, ApoB 183. I actually had worse cholesterol numbers when I was a 21 year old active and fit soldier eating a healthy diet so in my case it's genetics.

I just started Repatha(paying out of pocket $240 a month ) and ezetimibe. Whatever reta brings to the table will be welcomed though. I could use every little bit.

Wowza, you got me beat. (not in a good way) it was my physical therapist who made me aware of it, his was family was loaded with it. He's pretty fit person too, which surprised me. My Apo(b) was 35, hs-CRP was 2, last blood work.

Sounds like kitchen sink protocol, when the house is on fire. It's tough when you get to a place where you throw everything at it, you don't have the time to try one at a time and see what works and what doesn't.

I'd be curious if you have any luck with that combo and could update later, Good luck!

 

[Habibibi]

1 year of statins and Ezetimibe cost me about 120, and lowered my ldl cholesterol to less than 40. That's cheaper than my yearly GLP1 dose, and far more effective.

I've seen the studies on retatrutide lowering ldl, and can confirm with labs that it didn't have any positive effect on my ldl levels, which were close to 100.

 

[BlackRidge]

I just started reta. Unfortunately it's not going to be enough of a drop for me even if I get the best results seen in the study. With me having FH and a high lifetime LDL I should be aiming for under 90 LDL and ideally 70.

Currently at 255 LDL, 23 HDL, hs-CRP 12, ApoB 183. I actually had worse cholesterol numbers when I was a 21 year old active and fit soldier eating a healthy diet so in my case it's genetics.

I just started Repatha(paying out of pocket $240 a month ) and ezetimibe. Whatever reta brings to the table will be welcomed though. I could use every little bit.

I was in the same boat, severe FH and I had a heart attack about 7 months ago (age 36). I'm 6'0" 260# and never really had an egregious diet. I was immediately put on Atorvastatin 80mg, which didn't do much. Doc prescribed Repatha which TANKED my LDL (236 to 47 within a few months), and Vascepa which targets triglycerides (410 to 103 since December). My hs-CRP is now 0.655.

In all I'm on 3 separate medications to help lower various cholesterol types. I started Reta about 7 weeks ago and have no blood data since I started, nothing would be definitive to show its efficacy anyway since I'm on all the scripts. In my case with bad genetics, I highly doubt Reta would have even touched my cholesterol before the meds - but I also have the peace of mind that it's doing more for various liver functions than just statins alone.

 

[lastresort]

You don't have to turn to peptides for every health issue. There are other safer, less "invasive", and easier solutions to treat your high cholesterol. Try with fibers such as green banan resistant starch and oat brans. Both contain fibers that are clinically proven to reduce serum cholesterol.

 

[lessthanhalf]

While a better diet or fiber can improve lipids a bit, and should always be considered and ideally followed by anyone to improve lipids, it is not in any way the correct or main therapy for secondary prevention, for example for someone who already had a heart attack at age 36 or any other age, or even for primary prevention in those at very high risk. Expert advice from a cardiologist is always the correct approach and will more or less always involve aggressive lipid management with statins plus or minus ezetimibe plus others if needed.

GLP drugs including reta do improve cardiovascular risk and lipids but are very much a secondary therapy, after standard lipid lowering drugs, and are typically only recommended in obesity , heart failure or renal failure and fatty liver disease rather than a part of standard cardiovascular risk reduction.

 

[CathyGoesFar]

I was in the same boat, severe FH and I had a heart attack about 7 months ago (age 36). I'm 6'0" 260# and never really had an egregious diet. I was immediately put on Atorvastatin 80mg, which didn't do much. Doc prescribed Repatha which TANKED my LDL (236 to 47 within a few months), and Vascepa which targets triglycerides (410 to 103 since December). My hs-CRP is now 0.655.

In all I'm on 3 separate medications to help lower various cholesterol types. I started Reta about 7 weeks ago and have no blood data since I started, nothing would be definitive to show its efficacy anyway since I'm on all the scripts. In my case with bad genetics, I highly doubt Reta would have even touched my cholesterol before the meds - but I also have the peace of mind that it's doing more for various liver functions than just statins alone.

It's ridiculous how often someone has to have a heart attack before they actually treat FH.

I'm going to push hard at my next appointment to get FH added to my conditions lists and request to see a lipid specialist. So far they have all acknowledged that I have it but continue to list "hyperlipidemia, unspecified" . I firmly meet diagnostic criteria.

I have always refused statins and then they end the conversation at that. No doctor has ever offered me other options. Pretty much "You don't want statins? Ok, F off and die". I have met people with permanent damage from statins so as long as other options exist I'm not doing it. It generally requires high doses or multiple types of statins to adequately lower LDL in FH and that means an increased risk of side effects. Repatha and ezetimibe are so far side effect free although trying to use the auto injector is such a PITA I'll probably pull it apart and self inject.