Ozempic Can Cause Major Loss of Muscle Mass and Reduce Bone Density

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/ozempic-muscle-mass-loss

by paulpauper • 3 years ago

83 75 3 years ago

NickC25• 3 years ago

Isn't the weight-loss "feature" of Ozempic a side-effect, and not the original primary target of the drug? I could (and very well probably am) be wrong here, but I thought it's original purpose was to moderate blood sugar levels, not cause the user to drop large amounts of weight quickly.

If so, I'm honestly not surprised at all. Magic bullets don't exist. If they do, they usually come with unforeseen side effects.

arcticbull• 3 years ago

The, er, male enhancement "feature" of Viagra is a side-effect of its original use: blood pressure medicine.

It's only a side-effect if it's secondary or undesirable.

[edit] Or (setting aside the birth defects) curing multiple myeloma was a side-effect of thalidomide, which was originally given for morning sickness. And life extension is a promising potential side-effect of metformin.

chucksta• 3 years ago

It's only a side-effect if it's secondary or undesirable.

What is your point? that's the definition... A side effect of turning the light on is heat.

"A peripheral or secondary effect, especially an undesirable secondary effect of a drug or therapy."

make3• 3 years ago

lots of pills are used for uses different from their original uses, & it's fine. see Viagra, that was supposed to be heart medication

GoofballJones3• 3 years ago

I'm currently on it and it was prescribed by my doctor for my diabetes. I just started it. Yes, the side effect may be weight loss for me, which will also directly help my diabetes in and of itself, but the weight-loss is only a side effect.

But since so many are using it JUST for weight-loss, which their insurance probably doesn't cover, I sometimes have to wait because it's sold out. So me, having a legit reason to be on it due to my diabetes, can't always get it because someone else wants it just to lose weight.

aantix5• 3 years ago

just to lose weight

You mean they "just" want to reduce their blood pressure, reduce their cholesterol, reduce their glucose, reduce their chances of cancer, stroke, coronary heart disease, all the while moving easier, having more energy, and not feel embarrassed by their weight any longer.

AdamH121135• 3 years ago

Same. My A1C went down 1.5 points (7.9 -> 6.5) after I went on Ozempic with minimal behavior changes. I've also had trouble getting prescriptions filled because it's the hot new weight loss drug.

bookmark1231• 3 years ago

I highly doubt insurance would refuse to cover a medication that will almost certainly drastically lower their long term expenses

briffle• 3 years ago

Yes, and its been turned into a seperate, identical drug, Wegovy, with different dosages to target weight loss.

taylodl• 3 years ago

Yes. Ozempic is a therapy for reducing A1C. The weight-loss and appetite suppression was a side effect. Generally speaking, weight loss is also good for lowering your A1C - so the side effect was a win.

raverbashing• 3 years ago

You mean, like any uncontrolled weight loss with an unbalanced diet/vitamin deficiency?

Ozempic basically decreases appetite. That's its main weight loss mode of action.

smileysteve2• 3 years ago

That's a drastic simplification.

Stomach stapling basically decreases appetite.

Ozempic acts with more precision by targeting your insulin release/sensitivity and addiction centers of the brain -- and making sugars/carbs harder to process.

tibbydudeza• 3 years ago

Does it not slow down your stomach emptying into the gut so that you do not feel hungry because your tummy is telling your brain - hold on boss - still busy with lunch here for a late afternoon snack.

There seems to be some reports of folks suffering from rare stomach paralysis.

foxyv6• 3 years ago

What a lot of people don't realize is that obese people are VERY muscular. It takes a ton of muscle and bone density to support that much extra weight. This is why exercise is important in any weight loss regimen. It isn't important because it burns calories, but because it maintains the condition of your body.

squirrel63• 3 years ago

Indeed. The fact that they (the drug’s sponsors) didn’t look at how much of the weight lost during the RCT was lean mass is very damning.

To your point, we know lifting weights specifically is crucial for maintaining bone mineral density[1]. I wonder if there’s a correlation between loss of lean mass and reduced bone mineral density.

[1] Crucial being a relative term with respect to the applicability of this study’s findings https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31797417/

Edit: for sourcing.

jackmott423• 3 years ago

Evidence is mixed on weight lifting and bone density. Some studies see no benefit at all. The idea that it is "crucial" isn't supported by any evidence at all. Most people have bone density that is fine without any weight lifting.

On the other hand the evidence on running and bone density is very consistent.

foxyv6• 3 years ago

While I'm not sure about the connection between weight lifting and bone density, I do know that inactivity is a major cause of injury and lost physical fitness. A person who is obese is getting that exercise just by existing. Every time they stand up, lift an arm, bend over, or walk across the room, they are engaging in more exercise than a low body weight person does in the gym. Once that weight is gone, they will need to increase activity levels.

jackmott423• 3 years ago

I don't understand why your first claim supports the second. I agree obese people are very muscular. But since you won't need so much muscle and bone when you weigh less, why is it important to exercise any more than it is generally?

jghn• 3 years ago

So that the body isn't burning too much muscle in an attempt to preserve the fat

foxyv6• 3 years ago

As you lose weight, you need to adapt to your changing body. You will lose a lot of muscle in the process which is okay! However, all that exercise you got from just standing and walking normally will go away too. Maintaining condition will require intentional effort, otherwise you will start to see injuries. Think of it like physical therapy while recovering from an illness.

renewedrebecca• 3 years ago

There have been some studies that show that muscle loss is disapportionally higher than fat loss, which would lead to worse body composition after losing weight.

nonameiguess• 3 years ago

No, it can't. Losing weight by any means whatsoever can do this. There is nothing special or unique about losing it via Ozempic versus gutting it out and suppressing calories while still feeling hungry all the time.

squirrel63• 3 years ago

I think the point being made is that this medical intervention, which has been approved to treat obesity via weight loss, is going to give people sarcopenia and ruin their bone mineral density. During the clinical trials, there was no analysis of body composition (via DXA or other means) which would have given patients more informed perspective about this issue.

toomuchtodo• 3 years ago

It's a good shim considering the obesity rate in developed countries, but something superior would be a biological mechanism to inhibit the body's uptake of sugars. Instead of reducing appetite, which reduces intake of critical macros and minerals, you're then instead preventing the body from processing the worst offender in western diets. Eating healthy is challenging in the current macro (cost, access, time, etc).

kridsdale32• 3 years ago

Then perhaps the best treatment would be to combine a GLP-1 Agonist and sex-hormone replacement.

squirrel63• 3 years ago

Peter Attia has talked about this issue at length.

kridsdale32• 3 years ago

Number one alarm-sounder on Sarcopenia as a problem for the elderly. And it's true. If "having a fall" can be fatal for you, you are far too weak. Boss up and get strong, at any age.

jackmott423• 3 years ago

That would be expected if you stop eating too much also.

mhd2• 3 years ago

Did I miss a study in the article? There's a bit about general muscle mass loss, a study about bariatric bypass surgery, and then some generic advice to take protein.

This looks a bit like a supplement ad.

bloaf• 3 years ago

I agree, there was a recent funded-by-diet-shake-company study which found that current US recommendations for protein intake we're too low.

It would not surprise me at all if the makers of things like Ensure are scared of weight loss drugs and are trying to find a way to stay relevant.

mhd2• 3 years ago

Why would they be scared, would the people who take them take less supplements than before?

I see this more as an opportunity? "Hey, this new drug is all great, but focus your reduced caloric intake on the proper macros, brozempic!"

vjk800• 3 years ago

Doesn't all weight loss schemes also decrease muscle mass if not done together with some sort of resistance training and adequate protein intake? From what I've heard, Ozempic mostly just decreases the appetite, so I would be surprised if the results were somehow magically much different from just eating less without any drugs.

conradev• 3 years ago

from the article:

“Any time people lose weight, one-quarter to one-third of that weight can be muscle, and the faster we lose, the more likely we are to lose muscle. While 20% reduction in muscle mass seems normal for someone losing weight, the problem is the length of time in which this muscle loss occurs,” said Kumar.

mmanfrin• 3 years ago

These are two side effects of losing weight in general, and nothing special to Ozempic.

zingababba• 3 years ago

There's a pretty active black market for semaglutide. BBuilders usually offset catabolic effects of stuff like t3/t4/dnp/semaglutide with higher AAS.

kybernetyk2• 3 years ago

It would be nice to know what `AAS` means.

kybernetyk2• 3 years ago

I wonder if this is caused directly by the drug or if it's just a side effect of the large caloric deficit. Because you lose a lot of muscle mass if you're in a large caloric deficit without taking any drug.

diebeforei485• 3 years ago

This is an reasonable tradeoff for many obese people in the short term. But it definitely implies long term ongoing use is not a good idea.

MollyRealized• 3 years ago

Basically, this is merely saying that as a function of losing weight rapidly, this happens. It doesn't seem to be specifically attributing it to Ozempic. In other words, Ozempic causes rapid weight loss which causes this.

That, however, might not be as attention-getting/click-baity a title.

morgango• 3 years ago

As an anecdotal comparison, over the last year or so, I have lost about 15% of my body weight through diet and exercise, going from 220 down to 190 today. I did this with exercise (walking exclusively for six months, then shifting to walking plus weight training with a coach twice a week). Nothing extreme.

I also use a scale that does body mass measurements (consumer grade). It says:

1. My fat-free body weight went from 148.6 down to 143.2.

2. My muscle mass is down from 142 down to 136 (see below)

3. I have had no bone loss of bone mass.

As I was walking, I seemed to consistently lose about 25% of the weight in muscle. My weight loss stopped as I started hitting the weights, but I started putting on about a pound per month in muscle, which is very visible on my core and arms.

Peter Attia has a nuanced medical take on the drug, based on interactions with his patients (short video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6fhFLv2ERs). His take was that the drug works and there are very few side effects. He also uses it as a last resort, as he has seen his patients lose far more bone mass and muscle than he would like. However, it is a lifesaver for people who don't have success with other methods.

Personally, I don't want to use it, but don't judge others for making the right medical decisions for themselves.

sschueller• 3 years ago

What about the fact that people on ozempic don't change their eating habbits other than the amount they consume?

Eating all that garbage still had a negative effect on your health while if you want to loose that weight with this medication you need to change what you eat more than how much.

Ozempic Can Cause Major Loss of Muscle Mass and Reduce Bone Density

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