When it comes to treating obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic health conditions, GLP-1 agonist drugs like Ozempic, Zepbound, and Wegovy are making a difference for literally millions of Americans.
But like all drugs, these drugs can have unwanted side effects. And a recent study that just a lots of attention raised the possibility of new ones.
THE researchpresented at the 2026 annual meeting of the American Society of Orthopedic Surgeons in March and not yet peer-reviewed, found an association between GLP-1 use and an increased risk of bone problems. osteoporosis (weak, fragile bones) and osteomalacia (soft bones). The study found a link between GLP-1 use and increased risk gouta type of arthritis that causes pain and swelling in the joints.
The study’s lead author said he became interested in whether GLP-1s might affect bone and other connective tissues after some of his patients “developed severe tendon tears following relatively minor injuries.” NBC News. After analyzing five years of medical records of nearly 147,000 adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity, the study authors concluded that GLP-1 use was associated with a “significantly increased” risk of osteoporosis, osteomalacia, and gout.
Of course, this news is probably unsettling for anyone taking these medications. But should we be rightly concerned about these findings? And how exactly can GLP-1s harm bone health? We asked two experts for answers, as well as practical tips for maintaining bone health while taking GLP-1.
How worrying are these findings?
First, some reassuring news: There is currently no “confirmed scientific evidence” to suggest that GLP-1 directly increases the risk of osteoporosis or osteomalacia. Marci Laudenslager, MDobesity doctor at the Johns Hopkins Healthful Eating, Activity & Weight Program, tells SELF. (The same goes for gout, he adds.)
Dr. Laudenslager, who was not involved in the study, points out that it was observational, meaning it looked at correlation…not causation. “While well-conducted observational studies can reveal a potential relationship between a drug and a clinical outcome, they cannot determine whether the drug directly causes that clinical outcome,” he explains.
Another limitation of the study is that it relied solely on medical records, meaning that it was assumed that all patients who were prescribed GLP-1 as recorded in their medical records were actually taking the drug. According to Dr. Laudenslager, the reality is that many patients who are prescribed GLP-1 are unable to take it due to cost or drug shortages. Moreover, people who do it Don’t always continue taking it, he adds, because of insurance, cost or drug tolerability issues.
