A guide for the conversation
The sources are here when you want more detail. Each one answers a particular kind of question.
For weight change, start with the weight studies. For a product warning, start with its label. The medical-board documents cover remote assessment.
Every source cited in these notes appears below. Each description explains the question it helps answer.
Wilding and colleagues, 2021. Adults with obesity, or overweight plus a weight-related condition, without diabetes. Semaglutide led to greater average weight loss than placebo over 68 weeks, with lifestyle support in both groups. Novo Nordisk funded the trial.
Aronne and colleagues, 2025. Tirzepatide led to greater average weight loss than semaglutide over 72 weeks in adults with obesity without type 2 diabetes. Eli Lilly funded this open-label trial: participants and researchers knew the assigned medicine. It used the highest study doses participants could tolerate.
Frias and colleagues, 2021. In this 40-week trial, participants with type 2 diabetes received semaglutide 1 mg weekly or tirzepatide study doses. Tirzepatide lowered blood sugar and weight more. The semaglutide amount was below the highest diabetes strength now approved.
Lincoff and colleagues, 2023. SELECT enrolled adults aged 45 or older with established heart or blood-vessel disease, a body mass index (BMI) of at least 27, and no diabetes. Semaglutide reduced the combined risk of death from heart or blood-vessel disease, nonfatal heart attack or nonfatal stroke. The comparison was with placebo, not tirzepatide.
Wilding and colleagues, 2022. A smaller follow-up group regained much of its lost weight after semaglutide and lifestyle support ended. Both ended, so the study cannot separate the effects of withdrawing each one.
Rubino and colleagues, 2021. After an initial semaglutide treatment period, people continuing the medicine lost more weight while those switched to placebo regained weight. The comparison describes people who reached that stage, rather than everyone starting treatment.
Wharton and colleagues, 2022. This pooled analysis found digestive events were mostly mild or moderate and often appeared during study dose increases. A group finding cannot establish how serious an individual symptom is.
The U.S. label describes approved uses, warnings and instructions for Wegovy injections and tablets. It is the main label source for the health-history and safety questions in these notes, rather than a personal treatment plan.
The U.S. label explains how Zepbound works and its safety warnings. Its birth-control-pill warning is one reason the comparison page leaves room for questions beyond average weight loss. Label instructions belong in a conversation with the prescriber.
FDA explains what compounding involves and why compounded medicines are not FDA-approved. Approval of a manufactured medicine does not extend to a compounded preparation with the same ingredient name.
FDA received reports of adverse events, some requiring hospital care, that may be related to dosing errors with compounded injectable semaglutide. The alert describes measurement and calculation errors. It supports asking for clarification, not using an online conversion.
The Federation of State Medical Boards’ 2022 model policy covers assessment, follow-up questions and referrals for tests or examination. It is a model for boards, not a single law that applies in every state.
The Federation of State Medical Boards’ 2026 guidance challenges prescribing based solely on a patient-selected treatment menu. It also says patients must be able to ask follow-up questions. Enforceable requirements depend on the state.
The comparison notes explain why a diabetes result cannot simply stand in for a weight result. The appointment notes bring those differences back to your conversation with a clinician. A source can inform that conversation without settling your treatment decision.