A recent study suggests that semaglutide, commonly found in GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Ozempic, may help reduce knee osteoarthritis pain in obese patients. Published in The New England Journal of Medicine, the research highlights a new potential benefit of semaglutide beyond its usual application in managing blood sugar levels and promoting weight loss for type 2 diabetes.
The study, conducted by Novo Nordisk as part of a Phase 3 clinical trial, examined the effects of semaglutide versus placebo on body weight and knee pain in 407 obese patients with an average age of 56 and a BMI of 40.3. Over 68 weeks, participants received weekly doses of either 2.4 mg of semaglutide or a placebo.
Results showed that those taking semaglutide achieved an average weight loss of 13.7%, compared to 3.2% for the placebo group. Researchers also measured pain levels using the WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) scale, where a higher score indicates more severe pain. Participants on semaglutide reported a decrease in WOMAC scores from an average of 70.9 to 41.7, while the placebo group saw only a 27.5-point drop.
The study concludes that semaglutide could offer pain relief benefits for knee osteoarthritis in obese patients, suggesting a promising therapeutic potential for this medication in managing osteoarthritis symptoms.
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