Weight Loss Drug Benefits and Risks

Muscle loss: We naturally lose muscle with age, as well as with weight loss. With these drugs, muscle mass in older adults may “decrease to the point that they’re at risk for complications, such as falls,” says Nate Wood, MD, an obesity specialist at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn.

Shedding too much weight: Older adults who are slightly or moderately overweight may be less likely to die prematurely, “which may be because there’s some extra body fat to carry you through an unexpected hospitalization or if you lose weight when you’re sick,” Wood says.

Nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, and vomiting: These side effects appear to be more common in older adults, according to Batsis.

The cost: Medicare Part D won’t cover weight loss drugs—which can run about $1,300 a month out of pocket—solely for weight loss. But Part D will generally cover them as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. And Wegovy is now covered to reduce heart attack and stroke risks in adults with obesity and those who are overweight and have established cardiovascular disease.