Hormonal
Semaglutide treatment (1 mg/week) in people with HIV and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease causes a significant decrease in psoas muscle volume (~9.3%) without causing a statistically significant decline in physical function (gait speed and chair rise tests).
If you are taking semaglutide for weight loss or liver health, expect to lose some muscle volume along with fat. This study suggests your physical function (like walking speed and ability to stand up) may not decline, but to be safe, incorporate resistance training into your routine to help preserve muscle mass and strength.
Psoas muscle volume decreased by 9.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: −13.4 to −5.2; P < .001) over 24 weeks... Chair rise and gait speed showed nonsignificant improvements... suggesting function was maintained despite significant loss of muscle.
Why this rating
Single-arm pilot study with a small sample size (n=46 for muscle measures), lacking a placebo control group.
Source
Effects of Semaglutide on Muscle Structure and Function in the SLIM LIVER Study
Grace L. Ditzenberger et al. · Clinical Infectious Diseases · 2024
DOI 10.1093/cid/ciae384
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