Weight loss, GLP-1s and Sarcopenia: A Podcast with John Batsis, Shen Dewar, Aruna Josyula

GLP-1 receptor agonists (the "Ozempics of the world") have been a truly revolutionary pharmacological advance in modern medicine. In randomized controlled trials (RCTs), these agents have been shown to do much more than just reduce weight, including significantly reducing cardiovascular events, lowering all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes, and even slowing the progression of chronic kidney disease.

But as we see their use rapidly expand among older adults, we have to ask: at what cost?

In geriatrics, weight loss is rarely simple. In older bodies, GLP1s carry increased risks, including accelerated muscle loss, functional decline, and possibly decreased bone density. So are we just trading weight loss for frailty?

To help us untangle this complex web, we sit down with three expert geriatricians in obesity: Dr. John Batsis, Dr. Shen Dewar, and Dr. Aruna Josyula.

What We Discuss in This Episode:

• How age-related changes alter the distribution of fat and muscle, even when body weight stays exactly the same.

• What are sarcopenia (muscle loss) and sarcopenic obesity, and why are they so dangerous for independence?

• A discussion on what happens to fat, muscle, and bone during standard weight loss versus weight loss accelerated by GLP-1s.

• Whether GLP-1-induced muscle loss a direct biological side effect from suppressed muscle protein synthesis, or is it simply the indirect result of a massive caloric deficit and dropping protein intake?

• A broad, geriatric-focused approach to weight, including a vital review of common medications that might actually be causing weight gain in the first place.

• Practical, actionable strategies to protect muscle mass and function when prescribing GLP1s

• A discussion of red flags in older adults, where we should have major hesitation before ever writing a prescription for a GLP-1

We cover this and more in the podcast. There is a forthcoming article in JAGS that addresses this topic, and we will add the link here once published.  If you want to take a deeper dive, take a look at some of the following references we discuss:

1. Aruna’s article in JAGS titled “One Size Fits None: Developing a Person-Centered Approach to Weight Management in Older Adults”

2. John’s Annal’s article on the “Effect of Incretin-Based and Nonpharmacologic Weight Loss on Body Composition: A Systematic Review”

3. John’s article on the “Unintended risks of sarcopenic obesity during weight-loss interventions in older people” in Nature Med.  

4. An article titled “The Effects of Incretin Mimetic Therapies on Muscle and Bone Health in Older Adults”

5. A systematic review of the effect of weight loss on muscle-based indices

6. An article on “Treating Sarcopenic Obesity in the Era of Incretin Therapies: Perspectives and Challenges”

7. Shen’s article describing “The Optimal Health Weight and Lifestyle (OHWL) Clinic”

8. Shen’s article titled “A Geriatrician’s Approach to Managing the Complex Older Adult with Obesity”

9. Another JAGs article on “Older Adults with Obesity: The Need for a 4Ms Age-Friendly Approach to Care”

10. Lastly, CMS’s information on the GLP1 bridge program