Ozempic and Wegovy could lead to muscle loss, experts say, but prevention is possible

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Ozempic and Wegovy could make it easier to shed undesirable kilos and maintain obesity-related illness at bay — but you could lose some muscle within the course of, some experts warn.

Rapid weight reduction may end up in a situation referred to as sarcopenia, outlined as “the gradual loss of muscle mass, strength and function,” in accordance to Healthline — but there are steps you possibly can take to scale back the danger whereas nonetheless sustaining a wholesome weight.

Semaglutide medicines reminiscent of Ozempic and Wegovy trigger weight reduction by way of a mixture of mechanisms, together with delayed gastric emptying and the GLP1 hormones that sign the abdomen to really feel full, famous Andrew Y. Sun, M.D., a board-certified urologist and chief medical advisor for Marius Pharmaceuticals in Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas.

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“Both of these result in a caloric restriction that causes weight loss,” he advised Fox News Digital. 

When folks shed kilos, it leads to a mixture of each fats loss and muscle loss. 

“In the clinical studies for drugs in the GLP1 class, the data indicated that 40% to 50% of the weight loss comes from lean muscle mass instead of fat,” Sun mentioned. “When you lose muscle mass, your resting metabolic rate, or the rate the body burns calories, also declines.”

Dr. Brett Osborn

Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurologist and longevity professional, shared methods for preserving muscle mass whereas taking weight-loss medicines. “Our muscle is our resilience,” he mentioned.  (Dr. Brett Osborn)

While all sufferers are inclined to the loss in muscle mass, girls have a tendency to lose greater than males, famous Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurologist, longevity professional and bodybuilder.

“One of the primary factors has to do with circulating testosterone levels,” he advised Fox News Digital. 

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“Women have lower levels naturally and have lesser muscle mass at base level. In a caloric deficit, testosterone levels further decrease, and there is potential for significant muscle loss (sarcopenia). This similarly occurs in the aged population.”

‘More susceptible to falls’

The well being results of shedding muscle may be extra harmful for sure sufferers than others, Sun famous.

“When you lose muscle or when you have insufficient amounts of muscle tissue, you are more susceptible to falls and fractures,” he warned. 

Man with doctor

Preventing muscle loss begins with heightened surveillance from each the affected person and the doctor, a physician advised Fox News Digital. (iStock)

“It makes recovery from illness and injury more difficult and, in general, leads to frailty and a more sedentary lifestyle that can, in extreme cases, increase the likelihood of death.”

Older sufferers are notably in danger, he mentioned, but all adults begin shedding muscle mass as a pure a part of the ageing course of

“This begins as early as your 30s and 40s, picking up significantly as adults approach 65,” Sun mentioned. “Some suggest that adults may lose up to 8% of muscle mass each decade.”

“When you lose muscle or when you have insufficient amounts of muscle tissue, you are more susceptible to falls and fractures.”

Then, “when you take a semaglutide drug like Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro, you’re significantly increasing this muscle loss — and that can be concerning if you’re an at-risk patient.”

Osborn emphasised the significance of muscle as a protector from illness. 

“Our muscle is our resilience,” he mentioned. “In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, muscle tissue serves as a protein depot from which antibodies form, allowing us to fend off pathogens.”

Woman weights

One approach to stimulate urge for food is by way of energy coaching, which additionally helps to mood muscle loss. “Muscle is critical to your health,” mentioned one doctor. (iStock)

Muscle additionally acts as a “glucose filter,” he famous, which helps to regulate blood sugar and reduces the danger of coronary heart illness and diabetes.

“The less muscle you have, the more susceptible you are to these diseases — so, muscle is critical to your health.”

‘Pay close attention’

People can take sure steps to counter the danger of semaglutide-related muscle loss, experts agree. 

“It starts with heightened surveillance from both the patient and the physician,” Osborn advised Fox News Digital.

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He recommends that physicians conduct common physique measurements of sufferers and modify the medicine dosage if benchmarks usually are not being met.

“Patients need to pay close attention to their waistlines and their muscle mass relative to their total body weight,” mentioned Osborn. “A male’s body weight ideally should be comprised of 50% muscle and a female’s should be 45%.”

Achieving that ratio will assist stave off age-related illnesses reminiscent of coronary artery illness, sort 2 diabetes, most cancers and Alzheimer’s, the physician mentioned. 

Testosterone medication

In some instances, medical doctors might prescribe hormone remedy to help a person’s muscle mass.  (Rory Doyle for The Washington Post through Getty Images)

“It will also protect you from frailty and the associated lack of mobility that place you at a high fall risk, which is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in people over the age of 50,” he mentioned. 

It’s additionally vital that each affected person makes an attempt to meet their prescribed each day energy, Osborn mentioned. 

“The less muscle you have, the more susceptible you are to diseases — so, muscle is critical to your health.”

“In my clinic, we shoot for a caloric intake equal to one’s sedentary basal metabolic rate, or BMR,” he mentioned. “We allow the medication to create a slight caloric deficit to assist in weight loss, but we do not recommend that patients starve themselves, as is often seen in the media.” 

One approach to stimulate urge for food is by way of energy coaching, Osborn famous, which additionally helps to mood muscle loss.

Sun agreed that sufferers on semaglutide remedy ought to undertake energy and resistance coaching — mixed with a high-protein eating regimen — to offset the consequences of muscle loss. 

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In some instances, Osborn additionally prescribes hormone substitute remedy to help a person’s muscle mass. 

“Using this protocol, we can maintain muscle despite Ozempic usage while driving fat loss, which is a double bonus — and truly the best of both worlds,” he mentioned.

Woman lifting weights

“In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, muscle tissue serves as a protein depot from which antibodies form, allowing us to fend off pathogens,” a physician mentioned. (iStock)

Looking forward, Sun mentioned he hopes that the subsequent technology of weight-loss medication will probably be extra centered on balanced physique composition reasonably than fats loss. 

“Until then, there are circumstances where muscle loss should prompt conversations between the physician and patient about lifestyle changes and concomitant use of other drugs like testosterone to maintain muscle mass,” he added.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Novo Nordisk, the producer of Ozempic and Wegovy, requesting touch upon the medicine’s potential to improve muscle loss. 

For extra Health articles, go to www.foxnews.com/well being.

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