CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – As more people utilize weight-loss drugs, UVA Health experts caution users of the shortcomings regarding GLP-1 medications and overall health.
Experts say GLP-1 drugs can help people drop significant amounts of weight but may cause a decrease in muscle mass alongside fat loss.
“Many people [want] to be on these medications,” UVA Health endocrinologist Doctor Zhenqui Lui said. “They think about is as that it might be a quick and easy way to lose weight. But in reality, this type of medication is not for everybody.”
Dr. Lui says GLP-1 medications are “remarkable” for weight loss and blood glucose improvements, but may come with side effects harmful to long-term health.
“They lose something we call fat-free mass,” Lui said. “When you continue to lose that muscle mass, if you don’t rebuild that back, the function, the whole-body function actually goes down.”
Dr. Lui and his research team say GLP-1 medications do make improvements to heart function, but do not provide significant improvements regarding cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) — a measurement of how the body utilizes oxygen during exercise.
With losses in muscle mass and no sign of CRF improvements, researchers say the drug could negatively impact metabolic health and longevity.
Dr. Lui says a protein-rich diet and exercise can improve long-term health results and CRF.
“People should talk to their doctor and [make] sure they’re not at risk for malnutrition, [or] they’re not at risk for low muscle mass,” Lui said, “And if they are at risk for those things, they probably should discuss with their doctors how to, you know, sort of tune up their body.”
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