University of Alberta researchers raise concerns about muscle loss from popular obesity drug

Researchers at the University of Alberta are looking at the effects of popular weight loss drugs such as Ozempic on muscle mass.

The new study “calls attention to something called the quality of weight loss,” says Carla, professor of human nutrition and Canada Research Chair in Integrative Nutrition, Body Composition and Energy Metabolism at American University. Prado said.

Prado and other researchers investigated muscle loss and how rapid weight loss using drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide (better known by the brand names Ozempic and Munjaro) affects patients' physiology. I researched how to change it.

Prado and his colleagues at McMaster University and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana published an editorial in The Lancet this month suggesting the drug raises concerns about the potential for significant muscle loss.

According to the commentary, muscle accounts for 39 percent of total weight loss over a period of 36 to 72 weeks.

Listen | Unintended Consequences of Weight Loss Drugs:

Ozempic is one of the most famous weight loss drugs on the market. Semaglutide injection was approved by Health Canada in 2018 to treat type 2 diabetes, before the drug shot to stardom for its weight-loss benefits.

It is part of a group of drugs classified as GLP-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 RAs, that can control blood sugar levels and initiate weight loss. These include tirzepatide and letaltortide, a drug not yet on the market.

Prado's project brought together experts to review the research collected on GLP-1 RAs.

What does weight loss cost?

“When you lose weight, you always lose muscle,” Prado told CBC. These drugs allow patients to lose a lot of weight, so muscle loss is noticeable.

“For example, if a person loses 22 pounds, their muscle mass could go from 5.5 pounds to 8.8 pounds,” she says.

There is also a risk of sarcopenic obesity, which is a combination of obesity and decreased skeletal muscle mass.

This may be a concern if you temporarily stop taking these medications due to lapses in insurance coverage or side effects.

Watch | You'll lose weight, but you'll also lose muscle.

Do weight loss drugs come with risks?

Muscle loss can weaken your immune system and reduce your ability to recover from illness or injury. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels and amino acids. Muscle naturally decreases as we age, but early muscle loss can lead to problems later in life.

“I don't want to cause anxiety to anyone,” Prado told CBC. radio active. “What I want people to understand is that even if you're on medication, you shouldn't forget about nutrition and exercise.”

From humans to rats

Jason Dyke, a professor of pediatrics and director of the Center for Cardiovascular Research at the University of Alberta, also studies the effects of weight-loss drugs on muscle mass.

In October, Dyck and other researchers published a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology examining the effects of the drug semaglutide in mice.

“We were shocked by the amount of skeletal muscle loss we observed in clinical trials in people using Ozempic,” Dyck said.

In this study, obese mice were given Ozempic until they lost weight. Researchers found that the drug's significant weight loss led to a loss of heart muscle.

When the researchers replicated this process in lean mice, they found the same conditions with smaller hearts. While this may sound alarming, it's not necessarily a red flag, Dyck warned.

“There are no obvious signs of heart damage,” he said. “At least in the early stages, it appears to be very different from pathologies where the heart becomes smaller.”

This discovery came after a recent clinical trial demonstrated Benefits of these types of drugs You may have certain cardiovascular diseases that can cause heart attacks, strokes, and death.

The biggest concern, Dyke said, is for people taking GLP-1 RAs for mild weight loss, and whether these drugs could be used in patients with diabetes or other health problems related to obesity. They say they may be facing potential risks without benefiting from the proven benefits.

“My enthusiasm for this class of drug is very high,” Dyke said, “but as with any drug, you need to monitor it and be aware of potential side effects.” .

Prado and Dyke now hope to work together to study the long-term effects of these drugs to better support patients and ensure that skeletal and heart muscle damage is avoided due to weight loss.

“People might think, 'Oh, we found a solution, let's take this drug,' but that's not really the case,” Prado said.

“We need better research and better regulation of medicines when it comes to the quality of weight loss.”