Semaglutide May Reverse Damage Caused by Osteoarthritis, Study Suggests

Summary: Have bad knees? A famous weight-loss drug might be the surprising answer. Researchers found that semaglutide—the medicine in Ozempic and Wegovy—might actually reverse the damage caused by osteoarthritis.

For a long time, doctors thought losing weight helped arthritis simply because it took heavy pressure off the joints. But a new study shows semaglutide does something much cooler. It changes how your cartilage cells make energy. Instead of struggling in a low-energy survival mode, the drug helps these cells use oxygen to make a massive amount of energy. This helps the cells survive and rebuild the joint from the inside out.

In a small study with humans, people taking semaglutide actually grew thicker, healthier cartilage and felt a lot less pain. While more testing is needed, this could be a huge game-changer for the 600 million people worldwide suffering from aching joints!

For more details, see sciencealert at sciencealert.com/semaglutide-may-reverse-damage-caused-by-osteoarthritis-study-suggests (opens in new tab)

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