Expert reveals vital details older adults need to know before taking GLP-1 drugs
Newly released studies have found key differences between older adults and younger people who take GLP-1 medications, and you might want to know about it before you start your dose.
Though GLP-1 drugs can be a powerful tool to combat weight-related illnesses, they're not for everyone, and over 65s may be more at risk.
It's not that the drugs are less effective for older adults. A new analysis of seven randomized controlled trials including people aged over 65, showed that on the highest dose, seniors lost approximately 23.3 per cent of their starting weight, which is between one and two percent more than younger people.
But there are two reasons why older adults should be extra cautious while using weight loss drugs.
Risks of weight loss for older adults
Advert
Dr John Batsis, a geriatrician and nutritionist at the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Public Health, told CNN that older people are physiologically different than younger users.
“An older adult is very different than a younger adult. Their physiology is different, their biology is different, and what is important from an outcome standpoint is different, as well,” he explained.
Because of this difference, sometimes people don’t realize that the impact of GLP-1s can have a totally different effect on the body – mainly the musculature structure of the person, not just the fat.
He added: "When you look at the trials, most trials either exclude older adults, or if they include them, very few are over the age of 65, and even fewer are over the age of 75."
“I think GLP-1s, and what we really know about them, is still kind of in its infancy,” said Dr Jennifer Schrack, who directs the Center for Aging and Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
She told the outlet that older adults who may have issues with balance or bone mass could experience the loss of muscle, not just fat, directly impacting their stability and fracture risk.
They may also be more at risk of falling, she said.
“When you lose weight, you lose fat, but you also lose muscle and bone,” Batsis added. “Just because you lose muscle doesn’t necessarily mean you’re losing function, though.”
Just to add, though, losing weight via any route can cause these dangers to older people – not just GLP-1 drugs.
That’s because it’s all to do with the composition of the body, and not the method of weight loss.
More severe side effects
Another key consideration is that the side effects of GLP-1 drugs can be more severe in older adults.
A study of GLP-1 drug tirzepatide found older adults were twice as likely to stop taking the medication because of side effects.
While vomiting is unpleasant for anyone, older adults do not have as strong a sense of thirst, so it can much more easily lead to dangerous levels of dehydration.
It can ultimately turn into kidney issues or a bowel blockage.
Overall, it seems like more research is needed on how GLP-1 specifically affect over 65s.
Topics: Weight loss, Science, Health
Britt Jones