While there’s no doubt that GLP-1s can transform lives, they come with a laundry list of less-than-pleasant side effects. One of the least-talked about ones? Bone loss.
Basically, any time you lose weight, whether it’s through a GLP-1 or lifestyle changes, there’s the potential for losing bone, too. “Bone is a mechanically sensitive tissue—all that really means is that it responds to the load that's placed on it, and body weight is a form of load,” says Sarah J. Wherry, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine who has researched the effects of GLP-1s on bone mineral density. “So, when you ‘off’ load, you're going to remove some of that stress and strain on the skeleton and it's going to adapt.”
Plus, because GLP-1s cause you to eat less food, you may also consume fewer macronutrients, like calcium, vitamin D, and protein, which can impact bone health, says Lauren Manaker, RDN, CPT, a registered dietitian-nutritionist, writer, author, personal trainer, and speaker based in Charleston. Given that weight loss may increase your risk of developing osteopenia or osteoporosis, maintaining bone health is critical. That’s especially true for women in perimenopause and menopause whose estrogen levels are dropping. “Estrogen is osteoprotective—it's something that's really good for bones,” Wherry says. “As women lose that estrogen, that sex hormone function, there is a loss of bone that goes with it.”
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