A recent study from Tel Aviv University found a drug could help people lose weight effectively no matter how old they are.
They found that the obesity drug semaglutide has similar effectiveness across different age groups with regard to weight loss (under 40 years, 40-60 years, and 60 years and over).
Weight loss is often accompanied by loss of lean body mass, which can negatively impact physical functioning and/or resting energy expenditure.
Bodyweight loss and body composition changes (fat mass vs lean mass) may differ by age.
Semaglutide was originally developed for and is also used to treat type 2 diabetes.
However, its effects on weight loss led researchers to study its effect on weight loss in people living with obesity but without type 2 diabetes.
In the study, the team tested the tolerability and effect of semaglutide 2.4 mg on weight loss and body composition according to age.
Adults without type 2 diabetes were assigned to a once-weekly injection of semaglutide 2.4 mg or placebo, both plus lifestyle intervention, for 68 weeks.
The team found that change in body weight (%) was greater for semaglutide than for placebo and was consistent across age groups:
40 years and under mean weight loss 15.2% semaglutide group versus 2.3% placebo; 40-60 years 14.6kg semaglutide versus 2.5kg placebo; and 60 years and over 14.7kg semaglutide versus 2.4kg placebo.
When looking at percentage body fat and lean body mass changes, semaglutide was found to have a more pronounced effect in patients aged under 50 years.
The team also found that the safety of semaglutide was generally consistent across age groups. Gut disorders were the most commonly reported adverse events across all age groups.
They say the treatment with semaglutide reduced the percentage of body fat mass and increased the percentage of lean body mass in all subjects, which was more pronounced in those aged under 50 years.
The research was conducted by Dr. Dror Dicker et al.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies that hop extract could reduce belly fat in overweight people, and early time-restricted eating could help lose weight.
For more information about weight loss, please see recent studies that low-carb keto diet could manage obesity effectively, and gut bacteria play a role in long-term weight gain.
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