Consuming more protein may protect patients taking anti-obesity drug from muscle loss: Study
Women and older adults taking the anti-obesity drug semaglutide may be at higher risk for muscle loss, but higher protein intake may help prevent muscle loss in these patients, according to a small study being presented Saturday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif.
Losing muscle (or lean mass) is a common side effect of weight loss in adults with obesity and may negatively affect metabolism and bone health. This is because muscle helps control blood sugar after meals and plays an important role in keeping bones strong, according to study lead researcher Melanie Haines, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass.
Approximately 40% of the weight lost from taking semaglutide-a type of weight-loss medication known as a GLP-1-comes from lean mass, including muscle. It is not yet known who is at highest risk for muscle loss or how it affects blood sugar levels, Haines said.
The researchers studied 40 adults with obesity for three months. Of these patients, 23 were prescribed semaglutide, while 17 followed a diet and lifestyle program for weight loss called Healthy Habits for Life (HHL). The researchers evaluated how their muscle mass changed.
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