Research
Mixed
Preservation of skeletal muscle mass is a critical consideration in obesity treatment with second-generation medications, and new drugs (e.g., bimagrumab) are being developed to block muscle loss.
When you lose weight, you might lose some muscle. This is a concern, especially for older adults. New treatments are being developed to help preserve muscle mass while you lose fat. Talk to your doctor about strategies to maintain muscle strength during weight loss.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
With the more pronounced weight loss from use of the second-generation medications, there is an increasing concern regarding loss of skeletal muscle mass... The future development of obesity medications features strategies for the pharmacologic preservation of muscle mass during weight loss.
Why this rating
Based on phase 2 trials of specific muscle-preserving agents.
Source
Future Medications for Obesity and Clinical Implications
W. Timothy Garvey · Diabetes Spectrum · 2024
DOI 10.2337/dsi24-0004
narrative_reviewCited 3×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Second-generation obesity medications (semaglutide 2.4 mg and tirzepatide) achieve clinically significant weight loss (≥15% body weight) and treat or prevent obesity-related complications, establishing a complications-centric approach to care.Strong
- Dual and triple receptor agonists (e.g., tirzepatide, retatrutide, survodutide) demonstrate second-generation efficacy (≥15% weight loss) in clinical trials, offering expanded treatment options for obesity.Good
Related findings · Mixed
- Bariatric surgery (VSG and RYGB) is the most effective and sustainable treatment for obesity, producing marked and sustained weight loss that non-surgical interventions cannot match.Strong
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- For patients with Class III obesity (BMI >39.9 kg/m2), metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is significantly more effective than any currently approved medication, with BilioPancreatic Diversion (BPD) showing the highest estimated weight loss.Strong
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