Drug to stop muscle loss side effect of obesity jabs

A new drug called Apitegromab may help people with obesity injections prevent the unwanted muscle loss associated with a flat butt or “Ozempic butt.” According to research in the journal Nature Medicine.

Research in the US suggests that about a third of the weight loss from GLP-1 obesity vaccines such as Wegovy and Mounjaro may come from muscle rather than fat.

But body scans showed that in a trial of 102 adults, the majority of whom were women, those who took apitegromab along with obesity medications retained more muscle while continuing to lose fat.

Experts say more evaluation studies are needed before recommending it.

‘Ozempic butt’

People taking GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro may experience excessive loss of fat, muscle, and tissue volume as weight drops rapidly.

It is thought to be a result of rapid weight loss rather than the drug itself.

Obesity shots curb your appetite and make you feel full for longer, so you eat much less and lose weight.

Unlike fat, it is more difficult to quickly restore muscle.

While not a medical diagnosis, some users complain about how their body shape changes, including a deflated or saggy butt, referred to as the Ozempic butt.

US plastic surgeonsvisible rise“We held consultations on this issue.

People using GLP-1 are already advised to eat healthy and exercise, including strength training for their muscles.

GLP-1 medications are not intended for short-term or cosmetic weight loss and are not recommended by healthcare professionals. I strongly do not recommend using them as a quick fix to get your “beach body” ready, but It’s clear that people abuse them.

What is the new drug?

Apitegromab is currently only available in clinical trials and must be given as an intravenous infusion.

The company that makes thisThe company funding the study is investigating whether people could self-inject it using a special injection pen, just like GLP-1 injections.

Apitegromab works by blocking a protein involved in the breakdown of muscle and is also being studied for the treatment of other medical conditions that affect muscles, including spinal muscular atrophy.

In the six-month obesity trial using weight-loss drug Mounjaro, people taking apitegromab retained around 1.9kg, or 55% more muscle, or ‘lean mass’.

Lean mass, or muscle, accounted for 14.6% of total weight loss in the apitegromab group, compared with 30.2% in the placebo group, which received a dummy treatment along with Mounjaro.

Expert Dr. from Cambridge University, who was not involved in the research. Marie Spreckley said the findings were promising but should be viewed as “encouraging early evidence” rather than definitive proof of clinical benefit.

He recommended larger, longer studies to check whether preserving muscle improves strength, well-being and long-term health outcomes.

How to strengthen muscle

You don’t need to visit the gym to do strength training. Any activity that makes your muscles work harder than usual is important.

This increases the strength, size, power and endurance of your muscles.

Start small and improve, NHS says.

Try to do two or more sessions per week, may include:

• working out with resistance bands

• heavy gardening tasks, such as digging and shoveling

• push-ups, sit-ups and squats

Diet, especially getting enough protein, is also important.

Research shows that 20-40 grams of protein per meal helps maintain or build muscle mass.

As a rough guide, fill a quarter of your plate at each meal with protein foods such as meat, fish, beans, lentils or chickpeas.

Protein-rich snacks include some yogurts, boiled eggs and nuts.