- A big proportion of People are at present taking GLP-1 drugs, and with such an elevated curiosity, researchers have been analyzing different potential well being advantages of those medicine exterior of managing sort 2 diabetes and weight reduction.
- One research offered at AAOS’ 2026 Annual Assembly discovered GLP-1s might assist enhance postoperative outcomes after sure orthopedic procedures.
- A second research experiences that GLP-1 use could also be related to an elevated threat for osteoporosis, gout, and osteomalacia in folks with sort 2 diabetes and weight problems.
Now, two new research lately offered on the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) provide insights on how GLP-1 drugs may affect musculoskeletal well being, each positively and negatively.
Their outcomes are but to seem in a peer-reviewed journal.
“GLP-1 drugs at the moment are broadly used for diabetes and weight administration, and their use is increasing quickly,” Haroun Haque, MS, a third-year medical scholar at SUNY Downstate Faculty of Drugs and lead investigator of this research, informed Medical Information Right this moment.
“As a result of they have an effect on metabolism, irritation, cardiovascular well being, and metabolic perform total, you will need to perceive how they affect surgical restoration and musculoskeletal well being. As extra sufferers take these drugs, surgeons want proof to information secure and efficient perioperative care,” stated Haque.
“We centered on the ten most typical orthopedic procedures as a result of they signify a big portion of musculoskeletal surgical care in america,” he continued. “These surgical procedures steadily contain sufferers with weight problems and metabolic disease, who’re most certainly to be prescribed GLP-1 drugs.”
On the research’s conclusion, researchers discovered that use of GLP-1 and semaglutide was correlated with considerably decrease probabilities for postoperative emergency division visits, with out an elevated surgical threat.
“Emergency division visits after surgical procedure are an vital indicator of problems and healthcare utilization,” Haque defined. “The affiliation between GLP-1 use and decrease emergency division visits suggests these drugs could also be linked to improved short-term restoration. Importantly, we didn’t observe proof of elevated surgical threat, which is reassuring given considerations about perioperative administration.”
Moreover, scientists found the usage of GLP-1s was additionally linked to considerably decrease surgical website an infection charges amongst sufferers present process TKA and THA.
“Infections after whole knee and whole hip arthroplasty are severe and dear problems,” Haque stated. “Seeing decrease an infection charges in GLP-1 customers raises the chance that improved metabolic management and decreased irritation might positively affect surgical outcomes. Even small reductions in an infection threat might have significant medical impression.”
“GLP-1 medicine use amongst orthopedic sufferers is rising quickly and is projected to proceed rising,” he continued. “Our findings counsel these drugs could also be linked to improved short-term postoperative outcomes; nevertheless we can not set up causality primarily based on these retrospective outcomes and additional potential investigations are wanted.”
Within the second study, researchers centered on analyzing how GLP-1 use may impression the danger of growing osteoporosis, gout, or osteomalacia (bone softening) in folks with sort 2 diabetes and weight problems.
Scientists analyzed digital medical information for greater than 73,000 folks and located that after 5 years, GLP-1 use was linked to a considerably increased threat of growing osteoporosis, in comparison with these not taking the medicine.
Researchers additionally discovered the next incidence of gout amongst GLP-1 customers, and the best relative threat improve was seen for osteomalacia.
“We’re simply now reaching the precipice the place 5- and 10-year follow-up information have gotten out there for sufferers taking GLP-1 drugs,” sayid Muaaz Wajahath, a fourth-year medical scholar at Michigan State College Faculty of Human Drugs and first investigator of this research in a press release.
“Any medicine that sees this speedy adoption warrants shut examination, notably in orthopedics the place weight problems and surgical intervention usually overlap, and when the long-term results of GLP-1 RA publicity on bone and joint well being stay poorly understood,” Wajahath detailed.
“Every time you might have a affected person who’s susceptible to osteoporosis, gout, or osteomalacia, clinicians ought to think about bone well being surveillance and monitor for delayed-onset problems in at-risk populations,” he added.
“These modifications could be carried out instantly and could be a straightforward repair to doubtlessly forestall these unwanted effects,” stated Wajahath.
MNT had the chance to talk with Laurie Glasser, MD, a bodily medication and rehabilitation doctor at Hackensack Meridian Well being’s Jersey Shore College Medical Middle in New Jersey, as to why GLP-1 use could be linked to the next threat for osteoporosis, gout, and osteomalacia in folks with sort 2 diabetes and weight problems.
In keeping with Glasser, who was not concerned in these research:
“There have been some experiences of decreased
bone mineral density (BMD) related to weight reduction, however the discount in BMD seems just like that seen with different weight-loss interventions and doesn’t translate into an elevated fracture threat. As well as,meta-analyses counsel that GLP-1 RAs may very well enhance bone density within the lumbar backbone and hip in contrast with controls.”
“Any speedy weight reduction, together with from calorie restriction or bariatric surgery, is more likely to be related to some bone loss, so I don’t assume blaming GLP-1s is the reply,” she added. “ GLP-1s are extraordinarily useful medicine for my sufferers and, when used responsibly, have contributed to many optimistic outcomes.”
MNT additionally spoke with Bert Mandelbaum, MD, sports activities medication specialist, orthopedic surgeon and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Middle at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics in Los Angeles.
Regarding the research taking a look at GLP-1 use and orthopedic process postoperative threat, Mandelbaum, who was likewise not concerned within the current research, stated that these outcomes verify that docs are seeing much more use of GLP-1 agonists, and within the orthopedic surgical group that they’re principally bettering outcomes total.
“Affected person reported end result scores appear to be higher, revision charges are decreased, at the least on this inhabitants research,” he continued. “So, what can we conclude from that? It’s going to take us some time to essentially kind out the specificity of the whole lot, however at the least the preliminary research are exhibiting that there’s advantages to the GLP-1 agonist.”
“That there are […]
“And as a consequence, there’s much less BMI. And likewise there’s a direct impact on the cells, the
chondrocyte . They usually discovered the pathway, that it really works by way of the AMPK pathway that has a direct optimistic impact on the mitochondria and oxidative processes which are to the optimistic. So it retains the chondrocyte, which is the cell that preserves cartilage and minimizes the development of arthritis, and subsequently makes its perform higher.”– Bert Mandelbaum, MD
