Muscle Wasting With GLP-1 Agonists: A Pound of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure

Are your patients wasting away? Dr Tamaan Osbourne-Roberts explains why lifestyle interventions are a key supplement to GLP-1 agonists for weight management.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

-- TRANSCRIPT --
I'm Tamaan Osbourne-Roberts, family physician and lifestyle medicine physician. Today we're talking about glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and muscle wasting: why lifestyle medicine still matters.

With the advent of GLP-1 agonists (and the occasional and only partially farcical suggestion that we should just be putting them in the water), there has been some debate as to whether lifestyle interventions still play a role in weight management as either primary or secondary interventions. The answer, unequivocally, is yes. Today, let's explore the role of these interventions to combat one particular and common side effect of GLP-1 agonists — muscle wasting.

As many of us know, the weight loss associated with long-term GLP-1 agonist use is not limited to fat mass; lean muscle mass can be lost as well. Combating this muscle loss requires a concerted effort involving both diet and exercise.

Given the decreased overall consumption of calories that occurs with these medications, counseling patients extensively on adopting or adhering to a nutrient-dense, healthy, high-protein diet is essential. Discussing strategies for incorporating plant-based proteins into their diet is particularly important. Similarly, prescribing muscle building exercise regimens, such as weight resistance training or body weight resistance exercise, is a hallmark of lifestyle-based interventions in these cases.

Taking the time to counsel patients on these items in a preventive manner is particularly helpful. As we all know, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you have the time and expertise to do so at the primary care level — go for it. But don't be afraid to refer to your local obesity or lifestyle medicine specialist for assistance.

Transcript in its entirety can be found by clicking here:
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...