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Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs could reduce arthritis symptoms in some, experts claim

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Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs could reduce arthritis symptoms in some, experts claim

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Popular medications for weight loss and diabetes control could have a surprising bonus benefit, according to some anecdotal reports.

Some people with rheumatoid arthritis who use GLP-1 drugs — such as Wegovy and Ozempic — have reported an improvement in the severity and frequency of their arthritic symptoms.

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It has been “well-established” that autoimmune patients who also have obesity “fare worse” than those who are at a healthy weight, according to Dr. Elizabeth Ortiz, M.D., a Texas-based rheumatologist and clinical adviser at WellTheory, a platform specializing in autoimmune disease treatment.

OZEMPIC AND WEGOVY COULD DOUBLE AS KIDNEY DISEASE TREATMENT, STUDY SUGGESTS

“Any improvements in joint pain or joint inflammation are likely due to a combination of factors, of which weight loss is only one,” she told Fox News Digital.

“Our understanding of the interplay between obesity, adipose tissue and inflammation is incomplete, so as of today, it is difficult to ascribe an improvement in joint pain to any particular cause,” she continued in a written statement. 

Some people with rheumatoid arthritis who use GLP-1 drugs — such as Wegovy and Ozempic — have reported an improvement in the severity and frequency of their arthritic symptoms. (iStock)

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“We are beginning to learn of the direct anti-inflammatory effects of these medications — and that, with weight loss, is likely to be of benefit for autoimmune patients.”

Does this mean GLP-1s could be prescribed eventually for arthritic patients?

WEIGHT-LOSS MEDICATIONS ARE NOT EFFECTIVE WITHOUT ‘NUTRITION THERAPY,’ EXPERTS SAY

“There are certainly compelling anecdotes and emerging research into the anti-inflammatory effects of these medications,” said Ortiz, “but we will need dedicated studies evaluating their effectiveness in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis before they become a part of standard care.”

What we may see sooner, she predicted, is the use of GLP-1s as a means of addressing obesity and metabolic syndrome in those with autoimmune arthritis. 

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“These medications could reduce rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and improve patients’ quality of life by addressing underlying inflammation and obesity, according to a recent meta-analysis,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)

“Obesity has been associated with worse autoimmune and inflammatory symptoms and with poorer response to standard therapy,” she said. 

“Those with rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases also carry a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those without these conditions, and the addition of GLP-1 therapy to their immunomodulating therapy may prove to be a successful combination.”

OBESITY IS ‘EXPLODING,’ WITH MORE THAN 12% OF PEOPLE CLASSIFIED AS OBESE WORLDWIDE, STUDY FINDS: ‘BIG TROUBLE’

There are some potential risks to consider, the expert noted.

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In addition to having a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, those with autoimmune diseases are more likely to have osteoporosis, a condition of weakened bones that can lead to fractures.

“This can be a consequence of low muscle mass, something we are seeing in many taking the GLP-1s,” Ortiz said.

“Obesity is a gateway disease underpinning nearly all non-infectious age-related diseases.”

“This will need to be paid special attention to and weighed when determining how best to utilize these medications in autoimmune patients.”

The other potential limitation with the use of GLP-1s is cost, she added. 

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“Autoimmune drug spend is already very high, and together with safety and effectiveness, the cost of GLP-1 treatment needs to be considered,” Ortiz said.

Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurologist and longevity expert at Senolytix, has been a longtime proponent of semaglutide drugs — including Wegovy, Ozempic and Zepbound — which belong to the GLP-1 class of medications. 

Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurologist and longevity expert at Senolytix, said obesity exacerbates inflammation throughout the body, primarily through visceral fat. He’s been a longtime proponent of semaglutide drugs. (Dr. Brett Osborn)

“These medications could reduce rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and improve patients’ quality of life by addressing underlying inflammation and obesity, according to a recent meta-analysis,” Osborn told Fox News Digital.

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: HOW TO IDENTIFY THE SYMPTOMS AND SEEK EFFECTIVE TREATMENT

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Rheumatoid arthritis is marked by chronic inflammation, joint pain and flare-ups, the doctor noted, and those with higher body fat and BMIs face a greater risk of developing the condition.

“Why? Because obesity exacerbates inflammation throughout the body, primarily through visceral fat (the fat around your abdominal organs), which secretes cytokines, chemical mediators that heighten inflammation,” Osborn said. 

Cost could be a limitation of using GLP-1 drugs for arthritis. “Autoimmune drug spend is already very high, and together with safety and effectiveness, the cost of GLP-1 treatment needs to be considered,” one doctor said. (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

“This chronic inflammation can worsen RA symptoms and reduce the effectiveness of standard treatments,” the doctor added.

These medications help to reduce people’s consumption of simple carbohydrates — such as bread, pasta and rice — that contribute significantly to inflammation, according to Osborn. 

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“By curbing appetite and encouraging healthier eating patterns, GLP-1 drugs help decrease the consumption of these inflammation-triggering foods.”

                                       

Beyond rheumatoid arthritis, GLP-1 drugs can also help fight systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other autoimmune conditions, the doctor noted. 

“Targeting obesity first can improve overall health and reduce risks of conditions like heart attacks and strokes as well,” he added.

In addition to having a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, those with autoimmune diseases are more likely to have osteoporosis, a condition of weakened bones that can lead to fractures. (iStock)

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“Obesity is a gateway disease underpinning nearly all non-infectious age-related diseases.”

GLP-1 drugs offer “exciting potential” for managing rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, according to Osborn. 

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“Their ability to reduce inflammation and promote healthier eating patterns could significantly improve patients’ quality of life.”

Osborn noted, however, that more research is needed to fully understand the impact of GLP-1 drugs on autoimmune diseases. 

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GLP-1 drugs offer “exciting potential” for managing rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, a doctor said. (iStock)

“These genetic diseases are fueled by obesity-associated inflammation — however, an ‘obesity-first’ approach may not suit all patients and could lead to poorly controlled inflammation if underlying conditions are not addressed.”

Other potential risks associated with GLP-1 medications, such as the muscle loss Ortiz mentioned, “can be mitigated with careful surveillance by a seasoned physician,” said Osborn.

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Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy, declined to comment on the potential arthritis impact when contacted by Fox News Digital.

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Health experts react as Andrew Huberman backs Trump admin’s new food pyramid

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Health experts react as Andrew Huberman backs Trump admin’s new food pyramid

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The Trump administration has taken a new approach to the food pyramid.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new guidelines on Wednesday with an updated, inverted pyramid. The top of the pyramid, which is now the wider part of the structure, is built on meat, fats, fruits and vegetables, while whole grains are at the narrow bottom.

This follows HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s mission to “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA), aimed at addressing chronic disease, childhood illnesses and ultraprocessed foods.

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“The new guidelines recognize that whole, nutrient-dense food is the most effective path to better health and lower health care costs,” Kennedy said during a press briefing in Washington, D.C. 

“Protein and healthy fats are essential, and were wrongly discouraged in prior dietary guidelines. We are ending the war on saturated fats.”

The Trump administration announces the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, putting “real food” back at the center of health. (realfood.gov)

The HHS secretary rallied against refined carbohydrates, food additives and added sugar, highlighting the health risks associated with sugar-sweetened beverages. 

Kennedy’s main message to Americans was to “eat real food.”

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TRUMP ADMIN’S NEW NUTRITION GUIDELINES TARGET ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS, EASE UP ON RED MEAT AND SATURATED FATS

The announcement triggered reactions from top health and wellness voices, including Stanford neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman, host of the “Huberman Lab” podcast.

In a post on X, Huberman shared the White House’s graphic of the new pyramid, praising the decisions that were made.

“Oatmeal (and I think that’s rice and sourdough) made the cut!” he commented. “In all seriousness, assuming overall calories are kept in check and people exercise & get sun(day)light, this looks spot on.”

He added, “Maybe up the veggies a bit, add low-sugar fermented foods like sauerkraut & this is great.”

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Huberman said in a thread on the same post that Americans “don’t have to eat all the foods” shown in the diagram.

“You won’t see me drinking milk or eating shrimp,” he said. “Nothing against shrimp, I just don’t like the taste. Aversion to crustaceans.”

“Maybe up the veggies a bit, add low-sugar fermented foods like sauerkraut & this is great,” Huberman commented on X. (Chance Yeh/Getty Images for HubSpot; iStock)

The new guidelines received praise from other major health figures, including former FDA commissioner Dr. David Kessler.

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“There should be broad agreement that eating more whole foods and reducing highly processed carbohydrates is a major advance in how we approach diet and health,” Kessler told The Associated Press.

“Protein and healthy fats are essential, and were wrongly discouraged in prior dietary guidelines.”

Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, president of the American Medical Association, shared in a statement that these guidelines “affirm that food is medicine and offer clear direction patients and physicians can use to improve health.”

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“The American Medical Association applauds the Administration’s new Dietary Guidelines for spotlighting the highly processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and excess sodium that fuel heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other chronic illnesses,” Mukkamala wrote.

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The American Medical Association applauded the HHS for its updated nutrition guidelines. (iStock)

But not all feedback was positive.

Some people expressed concern about prioritizing red meat and dairy, while calling for the limitation of saturated fat.

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Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, shared in a reaction to STAT that while the guidelines “do have one or two good points, emphasizing fruits and vegetables and limiting alcohol,” the guidelines are “for the most part a strong reflection of industry influence.”

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Christopher Gardner, a nutrition expert at Stanford University, also spoke out against the new guidelines, as reported by NPR.

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“I’m very disappointed in the new pyramid that features red meat and saturated fat sources at the very top, as if that’s something to prioritize. It does go against decades and decades of evidence and research,” said Gardner, who was a member of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf, as well as Alexandria Hoff of Fox News, contributed reporting.

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Matt Damon’s Gluten-Free Diet Helped Him Lose 18 Pounds

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Matt Damon’s Gluten-Free Diet Helped Him Lose 18 Pounds


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Matt Damon’s Weight Loss: Actor Drops 18 Lbs with This Diet | Woman’s World




















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Deadly cancer risk could drop with single 10-minute workout, study suggests

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Deadly cancer risk could drop with single 10-minute workout, study suggests

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A single 10-minute workout may trigger blood changes that help fight colon cancer.

That’s according to new research from scientists at Newcastle University, who found that exercise quickly changes the blood in ways that affect colon cancer cells in the lab.

In the study, the U.K. researchers exposed colon cancer cells to human blood serum collected immediately after exercise, finding that the cells repaired DNA damage faster and showed gene activity patterns linked to slower growth.

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The blood samples came from 30 adults who had just completed a short, high-intensity cycling workout that lasted about 10 to 12 minutes, according to a press release.

Even a 10-minute burst of intense exercise may send protective signals through the blood that affect colon cancer cells, researchers say. (iStock)

Samuel T. Orange, an associate professor at Newcastle University and one of the study’s authors, spoke with Fox News Digital about the findings.

“Our findings show that exercise rapidly triggers molecular changes in the bloodstream that can act directly on colon cancer cells, reshaping gene activity and supporting DNA damage repair,” he said.

COMMON OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATION SLASHES COLORECTAL CANCER RECURRENCE IN HALF

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The results suggest that even brief activity can make a difference. “Every movement matters. Exercise doesn’t need to last hours or happen in a gym,” Orange added.

The research suggests that exercise quickly triggers changes in the blood that affect colon cancer cells and helps support DNA repair. (iStock)

One of the most surprising findings, according to the researcher, was how strong the biological response was after even a single workout.

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“Exercise altered the activity of more than 1,000 genes in colon cancer cells,” he shared.

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Even brief bouts of activity can make a difference, the researcher said.  (iStock)

The study findings suggest that the effect is driven by exercise-triggered molecules released into the bloodstream, sometimes referred to as “exerkines,” which act like chemical messengers and send signals throughout the body.

“Each time you exercise, you trigger biological signals that support health and resilience to diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease,” Orange said.

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The researchers cautioned that the study was conducted using cancer cells grown in the laboratory, not in patients.

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The findings are based on experiments using colon cancer cells grown in the lab, not studies conducted in people, the researchers noted. (iStock)

The study involved 30 healthy male and female volunteers between the ages of 50 and 78. Their blood samples were used to carry exercise-triggered signals to cancer cells grown in the lab.

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“These findings now need to be replicated in people with cancer,” Orange said. “We also need to better understand the longer-term effects of repeated exercise signals over time.”

Despite the limitations, the researcher said the findings strengthen the case for exercise as an important part of colon cancer prevention.

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“Each time you move your body and get a little breathless, you’re contributing to better health and may help influence biological processes linked to bowel cancer,” he added.

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