Exercise + GLP-1 RA Effective for Weight Loss While Preserving BMD
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, June 27, 2024 -- For adults with obesity, without diabetes, combining exercise with the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA), liraglutide, is effective for weight loss, while preserving bone health, according to a study published online June 25 in JAMA Network Open.
Simon Birk Kjær Jensen, Ph.D., from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, and colleagues examined bone health at clinically relevant sites after diet-induced weight loss followed by a one-year intervention with exercise, liraglutide, or both in a secondary analysis of a randomized trial involving adults aged 18 to 65 years with obesity, without diabetes. After an eight-week low-calorie diet, participants were randomly allocated to exercise alone, the GLP-1 RA liraglutide alone, the combination, or placebo for 52 weeks (48, 49, 49 and 49 participants, respectively).
The researchers found that the total estimated mean change in weight losses during the study was 7.03 kg in the placebo group and 11.19, 13.74, and 16.88 kg in the exercise, liraglutide, and combination groups, respectively. Bone mineral density (BMD) was unchanged in the combination group versus the placebo group at the hip and lumbar spine. BMD decreased for the liraglutide versus the exercise group at the hip and spine (mean changes, −0.013 and −0.016 g/cm2, respectively).
"Our findings highlight the importance of combining exercise with GLP-1 RA treatment for bone health," the authors write.
Novo Nordisk supplied the liraglutide and placebo pens; Cambridge Weight Plan supplied low-calorie meal replacement products.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2024
Read this next
Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Partly Mediate Association Between Prepregnancy Obesity, CVD Risk
MONDAY, April 21, 2025 -- Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) mediate a small proportion of the association between prepregnancy obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in...
Tirzepatide Dispensations Increased Rapidly After Approval
TUESDAY, April 15, 2025 -- After approval, tirzepatide dispensations increased markedly among adults with type 2 diabetes prescribed glucose-lowering medications (GLMs) and among...
Adverse Events From Semaglutide Seen in the ED Usually GI-Related
TUESDAY, April 15, 2025 -- The rate of emergency department visits for adverse events among patients dispensed semaglutide is low, with most visits involving gastrointestinal...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.