Concerns have arisen that the popular anti-diabetic and weight-loss drug, Ozempic, may reduce muscle mass and strength. A new mouse study published in Cell Metabolism now suggests that while muscles may get weaker, muscle mass changes less than expected.
“If we want to really help the individuals who may be losing muscle mass, then we need to know that they're actually losing muscle mass. We have data in mice that suggest that things are not as straightforward as they might seem,” said senior author of the study, Katsu Funai, PhD, associate professor of nutrition and integrative physiology in the University of Utah College of Health, in a press release.
The researchers found that Ozempic reduced lean body mass in mice by around 10%. Most of this, however, came from tissues like the liver, which shrank by almost half, as opposed to skeletal muscles. Meanwhile, some skeletal muscles shrank by an average of around 6% as mice lost weight, even though other muscles stayed the same size. Some muscles also lost strength as weight decreased, even if they stayed the same size. Strength was unchanged in other muscles.
The researchers cautioned that their findings may not directly translate to humans. They say that their findings highlight the need for more clinical research.
"Our findings are really interesting, but this is a preclinical model. We need these data in people,” said Funai.
The findings come after another recent study presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco, California, which found that women and older adults taking Ozempic may have a higher risk of muscle loss. They noted, however, that eating more protein may protect against muscle loss, and that this could help reduce insulin resistance and prevent frailty in people with obesity.
Sources: University of Utah, Cell Metabolism, Endocrine Society