New research shows that weight-loss drugs like Ozempic may help with knee pain. Here's a link to why.

The drug semaglutide, commonly known by the brand names Ozempic or Vigovi, was originally developed to assist regulate blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

However, researchers have discovered that it could actually help with other health problems as well. Clinical trials have shown that semaglutide could also be effective for Weight lossAnd hundreds of thousands of individuals around the globe are using it for this purpose.

Evidence has also shown that it could actually help regulate drugs. Heart failure And Chronic kidney disease In individuals with obesity and sort 2 diabetes.

Now, a study published in New England Journal of Medicine have suggested that semaglutide may improve knee pain in individuals with obesity and osteoarthritis. So what did this study find, and the way might semaglutide and osteoarthritis pain be linked?

Osteoarthritis and obesity

Osteoarthritis is a standard joint disease, affecting 2.1 million Australians. Most individuals with osteoarthritis have pain and find it difficult to perform normal each day activities akin to walking. Kneeling. Joint most affected by osteoarthritis.

Being chubby or obese a Major risk factor For osteoarthritis within the knee. A link between two conditions It's complicated. It involves a mixture of increased load on the knee, Metabolic factors akin to high cholesterol and high blood sugar, and inflammation.

For example, elevated blood sugar levels increase the body's production of inflammatory molecules, which may damage cartilage within the knee, and Development of osteoarthritis.

Weight loss is strongly advisable to cut back knee pain in people who find themselves chubby or obese. International And Australian guidelines Suggest that losing not less than 5% of body weight may help.

But losing a few pounds through eating regimen and exercise alone could be difficult for many individuals. A study The United Kingdom found that obese people had lower than a one-in-ten likelihood of losing 5 percent or more of their body weight annually.

Semaglutide has recently entered the market as a possible alternative route for weight reduction. It comes from a category of medicine called GLP-1 receptor agonists and works by increasing an individual's feeling of fullness.

Semaglutide for osteoarthritis?

Argument for A recent study It was that while we all know that weight reduction reduces the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, the effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists has yet to be explored. So the researchers set out to grasp how semaglutide might affect body weight in addition to knee osteoarthritis pain.

They randomly allocated 407 individuals with obesity and moderate osteoarthritis to one among two groups. One group received semaglutide once every week, while the opposite group received a placebo. Both groups were treated for 68 weeks and received counseling about eating regimen and physical activity. At the tip of the treatment phase, researchers measured changes in knee pain, function, and body weight.

As expected, those taking semaglutide lost more weight than the placebo group. People on semaglutide lost about 13% of their body weight on average, while those on placebo lost about 3% on average. More than 70% of individuals within the semaglutide group lost not less than 10% of their body weight in comparison with just over 9% of individuals within the placebo group.

The study found that semaglutide significantly reduced knee pain in comparison with placebo. Participants taking semaglutide reported an extra 14-point reduction in pain on a 0-100 scale in comparison with the placebo group.

This is way more than a discount in pain in the opposite. A recent study In individuals with obesity and osteoarthritis of the knee. This study investigated the results of a eating regimen and exercise program (where participants are given details about nutrition and physical activity) in comparison with an attention control. Results here showed only a 3-point difference between the intervention group and the control group on the identical scale.

The pain relief reported within the semaglutide trial is larger than that of commonly used pain medications akin to Anti-inflammatory, Opioids And Antidepressants.

Semaglutide also improved knee function in comparison with placebo. For example, those that took semaglutide could walk about 42 meters longer than those on placebo in a six-minute walking test.

How can Semaglutide reduce knee pain?

It's not entirely clear how semaglutide helps knee pain from osteoarthritis. One explanation could also be that when an individual loses weight, there may be less pressure on the joints, which reduces pain.

But recent studies have also suggested that semaglutide and other GLP-1 receptor agonists could also be. Non-inflammatory features, and might even protect against Cartilage breaks and tears.

Although the outcomes of this recent study are promising, it is just too early to think about semaglutide as a “miracle drug” for osteoarthritis of the knee. And since this study was funded by the drug company that makes semaglutide, it can be vital to conduct independent studies in the longer term to substantiate these findings, or not.

The study also had strict criteria, excluding certain groups, akin to those taking opioids for knee pain. One in seven Australians is seeing a GP for knee osteoarthritis. Opioids are prescribed.. Most participants within the trial were white (61%) and feminine (82%). This signifies that this study may not fully represent the common person with knee osteoarthritis and obesity.

It's also vital to think about that semaglutide can have plenty of uncomfortable side effects, including gastrointestinal symptoms and fatigue.

There are some concerns that semaglutide may decrease. Muscle mass And Bone densityAlthough we're still learning more about it.

Further, it could actually be difficult to access.

I even have osteoarthritis of the knee, what should I do?

Osteoarthritis is a multifactorial disease, and it can be crucial to take it. A multidimensional approach To manage it. Weight loss is a vital component for people who find themselves chubby or obese, but there are other features of self-management. This can include physical activity, pace strategies, and other positive lifestyle changes akin to improving sleep, eating healthier, and more.