Telehealth survey reports real-world sleep improvements on tirzepatide

A new survey presented at the American Diabetes Association's 2026 scientific sessions found that most patients with a history of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who took tirzepatide through a telehealth platform reported improvements in sleep-related symptoms ^[1]. Tirzepatide is sold as Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for weight management.

The data come from Roman Health Ventures, a telehealth company that pulled electronic health records for 5,372 patients with overweight or obesity and a history of OSA who had used tirzepatide for at least 28 days ^[1]. In June 2025, the company surveyed this group about changes in sleep-related outcomes. Only 199 people responded, and 181 gave answers that could be analyzed — a response rate of roughly 4 percent ^[1].

Among those 181 respondents, the median age was 48, and the median starting body mass index was 37.2, which falls in the obese range ^[1]. Just over half were female. Patients had been on tirzepatide for a median of 87 days, or about three months ^[1].

The survey asked patients to rate perceived changes using a scale adapted from a standard tool called the Patient Global Impression of Change. Overall, 86.7 percent of respondents, or 157 people, reported improvement in at least one sleep-related outcome, and 77.3 percent, or 140 people, reported improvement in more than one area ^[1]. Broken down by category, 72.4 percent reported more energy, 60.2 percent reported less daytime sleepiness, 59.7 percent reported better sleep quality, and 59.1 percent reported less snoring ^[1]. All of these differences were statistically significant, meaning they were unlikely to be due to chance alone ^[1].

The study was funded by Roman Health Ventures, and most of the authors are current employees of the company; one author also holds stock in several drugmakers, including Eli Lilly, which makes tirzepatide, and Novo Nordisk, which makes semaglutide ^[1]. The researchers themselves describe this as real-world evidence that complements, rather than replaces, findings from controlled clinical trials showing tirzepatide can reduce OSA severity ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

Sleep apnea is common among people with obesity, and weight loss is already known to help with the condition in some patients. This survey adds to a growing pile of real-world reports suggesting that people taking tirzepatide notice changes in sleep, energy, and snoring, not just changes on the scale ^[1].

But the way this study was done limits what conclusions patients can draw. With only 199 responses out of 5,372 eligible patients, the people who chose to answer the survey may not represent everyone taking the drug — those who felt better might have been more likely to respond than those who did not notice a change or felt worse ^[1]. There was also no comparison group of similar patients who did not take tirzepatide, so it is not possible to say how much of the reported improvement came from the drug itself versus other factors, like general weight loss or simply expecting to feel better. Because the survey relied on patients' own recollections rather than sleep studies or other objective measurements, it cannot show whether OSA severity actually changed on a clinical level.

The funding source is also worth noting. The survey was paid for and run by the same telehealth company that prescribes the drug, and most authors work for that company ^[1]. That does not mean the findings are wrong, but it is a reason to view them as preliminary rather than definitive.

What happens next

The findings were presented as a conference abstract, numbered 2604-P, at the American Diabetes Association's June 2026 meeting ^[1]. Conference abstracts like this one are not the same as full peer-reviewed studies, and it is not yet known whether this data will be published in a journal with more detailed methods and independent review. Larger, controlled studies with objective sleep measurements would be needed to confirm whether tirzepatide reliably improves OSA severity in typical telehealth patients.