CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Popular GLP-1 drugs help many people drop tremendous amounts of weight, but the drugs fail to provide a key improvement in heart and lung function essential for long-term good health, University of Virginia experts warn in a new paper.
The researchers emphasize that weight loss associated with GLP-1 drugs has many clear health benefits for people with obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart failure, including improving blood-sugar control, short-term cardiorenal benefits and improvements in survival outcomes. But doctors may need to consider recommending exercise programs or develop other approaches, such as nutrition supplements or complementary medications, to help GLP-1 patients get the full cardiorespiratory benefits of substantial weight loss over the long-run, the researchers say.
“Some patients literally told me that they felt that they were losing muscle or muscle was slipping away from them while they were on these medications,” said researcher Dr. Zhenqi Liu, Professor of Medicine and James M. Moss Professor of Diabetes at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and former chief of UVA Health’s Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism. “This is a serious concern. Muscle, especially axial muscle, is essential for posture, physical function and overall well-being. Losing lean body mass can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, all-cause mortality and diminished quality of life. We need to make sure that patients prescribed these medications aren’t already at risk for malnutrition or low muscle mass.”