Health
Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs could reduce arthritis symptoms in some, experts claim
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.
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.
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“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)
“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?
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“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.
“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.”
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There are some potential risks to consider, the expert noted.
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.
“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.
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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.
“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)
“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.
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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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
BACTERIA IN YOUR MOUTH MAY TRAVEL TO THE GUT AND TRIGGER STOMACH CANCER, RESEARCH FINDS
After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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