Topline
People who use drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy may experience bone density loss, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal JAMA Network, amid concerns the increasingly popular weight loss medications fail to preserve muscle.
Other research suggests the increasingly popular weight loss drugs fail to preserve muscle.
Key Facts
A trial of 195 adults with obesity found that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, a class of drugs used to treat diabetes, resulted in reduced hip and spine bone mineral density when used without exercise compared to a placebo or exercise alone, researchers said.
The participants—aged 18 to 65—were randomly split into four groups for one year: one that exercised and received a placebo, one that received just a placebo, a group that received Novo Nordisk’s weight loss drug liraglutide and another group that received liraglutide and exercised.
The group that exercised and received liraglutide averaged similar weight loss to the group that just received liraglutide, though the combination group was more successful in preserving bone health, the researchers said.
Despite liraglutide being an older treatment for weight loss, researchers said it’s likely new medications with semaglutide or tirzepatide—the active ingredient in Novo’s Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, respectively—will also result in a similar reduction in bone density because they cause similar weight loss.
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Tangent
GLP-1 drugs have been studied for their ability to maintain muscle mass while also helping patients lose weight. Over 1,300 participants who used semaglutide in a 68-week trial lost an average of nearly 15 pounds of lean muscle and 23 pounds of fat. Altimmune announced earlier this year its experimental weight loss drug pemvidutide minimized the loss of muscle mass while losing weight, suggesting the drug could mimic the effects of diet and exercise.
Key Background
Researchers have studied for years whether GLP-1 drugs could reduce bone density, after previous studies suggested people with obesity and type 2 diabetes likely have less bone mass. Other studies have indicated people with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of bone fractures because of their body’s resistance to insulin, though it was previously unknown whether GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic—approved for treating type 2 diabetes—could affect bone health.