Are a new group of obesity medications suitable for older people? While weight loss can improve cardiovascular health and physical function in older people with obesity, a new article says that these drugs may have fewer benefits and more risks for this population group. Dr. John Batsis, who focuses on older adults with obesity and frailty, called these drugs 鈥減romising.鈥� But he also believes that we need more data on how they affect older adults.
In a recent article, Dr. Batsis expressed concern about the loss of muscle mass and strength that could accompany this type of weight loss. “People naturally lose muscle as they age,” he said. “If they鈥檙e losing weight on top of that without doing resistance exercises, there鈥檚 a risk they鈥檙e more vulnerable to stressors and have difficulty carrying out daily activities.”