In a recent commentary for The Lancet, a team of scientists discussed the impact of GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic and Wegovy on muscles.
The authors said that the GLP-1 drugs, initially approved for diabetes treatment, are also being used as weight loss drugs.
However, the authors share their concern in the commentary regarding slightly higher rates of non-fat tissue loss from GLP-1 agonists compared to weight loss from non-pharmacological means.
"At the time of writing, there are no data to establish whether treatment with GLP-1 receptor agonists is associated with physical frailty," the authors noted.
"These effects would require long-term studies, which are not yet available, and the studies conducted to date were not designed to answer these questions."
The authors argue that muscle loss in individuals could also lead to metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, poor dietary intake, and low physical activity.
They further stated that they are still exploring the exact impact of GLP-1 agonists on muscles. However, they advise patients to use the highly effective medications strategically.
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