GLP-1s may increase risk of osteoporosis and gout, new research finds

GLP-1 drugs — including Ozempic and Wegovy — may be tied to a slightly higher risk of osteoporosis and gout, according to research presented Monday at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ annual meeting.Dr.

GLP-1 drugs — including Ozempic and Wegovy — may be tied to a slightly higher risk of osteoporosis and gout, according to research presented Monday at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ annual meeting.

Dr. John Horneff, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania and the lead author of the study, said he began looking into the issue after some patients appeared to develop serious tendon tears after relatively minor injuries. That led them to examine whether GLP-1s might affect bone and other connective tissue more broadly.

“People are taking these medications, and obviously there’s a tremendous amount of upside,” Horneff said. “But with that, they start to decrease their intake of food and nutrients.”

Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens the bones and makes them likelier to break or fracture, often from minor falls. It’s a common concern for many older adults and for people who lose a significant amount of weight over a short period of time. Gout, meanwhile, is a painful form of arthritis that can occur when the body has too much uric acid, which can come from a diet high in red meat and alcohol — as well as rapid weight loss.

In the new study, which has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, researchers analyzed five years of medical records from more than 146,000 adults with a diagnosis of both obesity and Type 2 diabetes.