WeightControl.com Interview with:
Steven B. Heymsfield, M.D.
Professor and Director of the Body Composition-Metabolism Laboratory
Pennington Biomedical Research Center of the
Louisiana State University System in Baton Rouge
WeightControl.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The recent introduction of glucagon receptor-1 agonists for weight control opens a new era in obesity pharmacotherapy. The greater weight loss with the new drugs is revealing a long-standing recognition that negative energy balance is accompanied by not only decrements in body fat, but also lean protein-containing tissues such as liver, kidney, and skeletal muscle.
WeightControl.com: What are the main findings?
Response: Multiple studies now report that the amounts of skeletal muscle loss with these new powerful weight loss agents is quite large, up to 40% of weight loss. The concerns involved include relative reductions in strength, endurance, and metabolic functions. These concerns are still being worked in clinical trials. Concerns center particularly on people who are obese and elderly as decrements in these age groups may have greater impact than in people who are younger.
WeightControl.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: Our report emphasizes the importance of ingesting adequate amounts of high- quality protein and continuing healthy lifestyle measures such as maintaining or increasing physical activity levels. These factors, details of which are still being worked out, can help prevent loss of functional lean tissues with pharmacotherapy.
WeightControl.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?
Response: There is a need to additional studies focusing on tracking skeletal muscle loss with GLP-1R agonists and means to prevent or limit those losses.
WeightControl.com: Is there anything else you would like to add? Any disclosures?
Response: The beneficial effects of this new class of weight loss drugs far outweigh their risks, but that some of those risks (such as muscle loss) can be limited with lifestyle measures that include adequate protein intake and activity levels.
Disclosures:I am on Lilly and Novo Nordisk medical advisory boards.
Citation: Muscle matters: the effects of medically induced weight loss on skeletal muscle
The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Volume 12, Issue 11, 785 – 787
Prado, Carla M et al.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(24)00272-9/abstract
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Last Updated on October 28, 2024 by weightcontrol