US EditionMuscle Loss From GLP-1 Drugs Could Undermine Long-Term Health
UNITED STATES, JUL 21 – A US study of over 60,000 patients found GLP-1 receptor agonists reduced dementia risk by 37% and ischemic stroke by 19%, despite associated fat-free mass loss.
- University of Virginia researchers published a July 21, 2025 paper warning that GLP-1 drugs cause muscle loss and do not improve heart and lung function.
- They conducted a review of data on semaglutide, tirzepatide, and related medications, aiming to understand long-term consequences of fat-free mass loss.
- The researchers found these drugs induce significant weight loss but cause loss of 25% to 40% fat-free mass, mainly muscle, without boosting cardiorespiratory fitness.
- Lead author Zhenqi Liu emphasized that ongoing studies are addressing this topic, and expressed optimism that more effective strategies will be developed in the near future. Angadi also highlighted that the impact of exercise regimens combined with GLP-1 treatment on maintaining or enhancing VO2max has yet to be thoroughly evaluated.
- The findings imply the need for screening malnutrition risk and promoting exercise and protein intake during treatment to protect muscle and support long-term health.
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11 Articles
Popular Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic May Cause Major Muscle Loss Without Boosting Fitness, Study Warns
The study found that popular GLP-1 receptor agonists — including semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) — cause people to lose substantial amounts of muscle alongside fat. The post Popular Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic May Cause Major Muscle Loss Without Boosting Fitness, Study Warns appeared first on Study Finds.
Muscle loss from GLP-1 drugs could undermine long-term health
Popular GLP-1 drugs help many people drop tremendous amounts of weight, but the drugs fail to provide a key improvement in heart and lung function essential for long-term good health, University of Virginia experts warn in a new paper.
GLP-1 drugs fail to provide key long-term health benefit, study shows
Popular GLP-1 drugs help many people drop tremendous amounts of weight, but the drugs fail to provide a key improvement in heart and lung function essential for long-term good health, University of Virginia experts warn in a new paper.
Dermatologists, Rheumatologists, and Patients Debate the Role of GLP-1 Drugs in Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis
While many believe the agents to be potential game changers, evidence is still lacking in psoriatic disease, and experts urge caution. Medscape Medical News
GLP-1 drugs fail to provide a key benefit of substantial weight loss
Weight-loss drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide may help shrink waistlines, but new research shows they fail to boost fitness and can cause serious muscle loss, potentially undermining the long-term health benefits of slimming down.Continue ReadingCategory: Wellness & Healthy Living, Body & MindTags: GLP-1 receptor agonists, Weight Loss, Muscle, Fitness, Cardiovascular, University of Virginia
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A target trial emulation study compared the effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) versus dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4is) as the second-line therapy for type 2 diabetes on the risk for dementia among older adults.
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