People who use weight loss drugs could be at risk of losing muscle mass

BOSTON - People who use popular weight loss drugs may be at risk for muscle wasting.

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) drugs, like Ozempic and Wegovy, are incredibly effective at helping overweight people shed weight fairly quickly. But with rapid weight loss comes the potential for sarcopenia or the gradual loss of muscle mass, bone density, strength, stamina, and function which we typically associate with getting older.

Someone may have more trouble climbing stairs, for example.

One easy way to combat this side effect is to eat more protein and engage in strength and resistance training at least two or three times a week.

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Weight Loss

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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