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Maintaining Muscle While on Ozempic and other GLP-1 Medications
Combination therapy is the best solution
Losing weight can be really hard. Chronic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes make it even more challenging. Fortunately, there is a medication that can help people overcome the multitude of biological, psychological, and sociological challenges impeding weight loss — GLP-1 agonists.
Many people are more familiar with some of the brand names, such as Ozempic and Wegovy. GLP-1 agonists (short for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) are a class of drugs initially designed for type 2 diabetes. Their use has expanded to weight loss (STEP trials) and lowering the risk of adverse cardiovascular events (such as stroke and heart attack, SELECT trials) through inflammation reduction, improved glucose control (SUSTAIN trials), and an improved lipid profile (cholesterol). They are being assessed in people with heart failure, sleep apnea, Parkinson’s, and kidney disease, but the primary target population remains those with obesity.
While there are a lot of potential benefits, the effect sizes vary and they have been studied only in unhealthy populations. As you will see, the best outcomes are when the drugs are combined with exercise.
