- A new study reports that GLP-1 semaglutide medications may help reverse the effects of osteoarthritis in the joints.
- The researchers say the drugs accomplish this by repairing tissue damage by reprogramming cells that maintain healthy cartilage.
- Experts say weight loss is the most effective strategy to combat osteoarthritis, but regular exercise and a healthy diet can also help.
Researchers report that a specific type of GLP-1 weight loss medication may help reverse tissue damage in people with osteoarthritis.
A new study published on March 3 in Cell Metabolism found that GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, which contain the active ingredient semaglutide, can help ease the effects of osteoarthritis on joints.
The findings suggest that the benefits go beyond weight loss, which, in itself, can ease osteoarthritis by reducing pressure on joints.
The researchers say that semaglutide drugs help repair tissue damage by reprogramming the metabolism of cells that synthesize and maintain healthy cartilage. This allows cartilage to generate more energy.
“This work not only highlights the potential off-target effect of semaglutide as an effective drug to treat metabolic osteoarthritis but also reveals a weight loss-independent repair mechanism that targets metabolic pathways and mediators essential to cartilage repair under osteoarthritis conditions,” the study authors wrote.
“This may lead to new strategies to develop disease-modifying therapies for osteoarthritis,” they continued.
Matthew Baker, MD, an assistant professor of medicine in immunology and rheumatology at Stanford University in California, said the study, although limited in size and scope, does provide a hypothesis for future breakthroughs. Baker wasn’t involved in the study.
“Most current therapies target symptoms such as pain rather than the underlying structural drivers of disease,” Baker told Healthline. “As a result, truly disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs have remained elusive despite decades of research.”
The other group contains the active ingredient semaglutide. The medications sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy are among them.
Both types of GLP-1 drugs have proven to be effective in helping people lose weight by using mechanisms that help suppress appetite.
Losing weight is considered one of the best ways to help reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis, especially in the knee joints. It works by reducing pressure on joint cartilage and lowering inflammation.
In their new study, researchers said they wanted to determine whether the reduction in osteoarthritis symptoms with GLP-1 drugs extended beyond weight loss.
They first experimented with an animal model, examining obese mice with osteoarthritis. Some of the mice were treated with semaglutide drugs while others weren’t. The researchers reported that both groups lost similar amounts of weight, but the semaglutide mice received better cartilage protection.
The results were due to a complicated metabolic pathway that affects how various cells produce energy.
The researchers then studied 20 people ages 50 to 75 with obesity and osteoarthritis. Some of this group, which comprised seven males and 13 females, received semaglutide medications while others did not.
The researchers reported that at the end of a 24-week treatment period, subjects who received semaglutide had significant improvements in knee joint function.
They noted that MRI analyses revealed thicker cartilage and recent cartilage growth in the inner joint areas among the semaglutide group.
Bert Mandelbaum, MD, a sports medicine specialist, orthopedic surgeon, and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Center at Cedars-Sinai Orthopedics in Los Angeles, said it’s possible that healthier cells provide better oxidation and can help preserve healthy cartilage. Mandelbaum wasn’t involved in the study.
“We’re learning more as we go,” Mandelbaum told Healthline. “It’s like trying to put together a big puzzle.”
“Rather than regenerating cartilage de novo, semaglutide likely stabilizes cartilage and enables limited repair by improving the metabolic environment within the joint,” said Baker.
It is a degenerative condition that causes inflammation in the joints. Some of the common symptoms include:
- pain or stiffness in the joints
- loss of flexibility
- reduced range of motion
- tenderness when pressing on an affected area
- grating or clicking sounds when joints are moved
- bone spurs
Osteoarthritis is caused by gradual joint and cartilage damage. Risk factors include:
- genetics
- previous injuries
- being over the age of 50
- menopause
- having an occupation that requires kneeling, climbing, or heavy lifting
- obesity
Mandelbaum and Baker agreed that weight is the number one factor in the development and progression of osteoarthritis.
“There is no question that there is an association between osteoarthritis and body weight,” said Mandelbaum.
“Excess body weight is one of the strongest modifiable risk factors for osteoarthritis, particularly for knee osteoarthritis,” said Baker. “Higher body mass increases mechanical load across joints, accelerating cartilage wear with every step.”
Baker noted that osteoarthritis can be difficult to treat.
“Osteoarthritis is difficult to treat because cartilage has very limited intrinsic healing capacity due to its avascular, low-cellularity structure,” he said. “Osteoarthritis is also biologically heterogeneous, involving cartilage, bone, synovium, nerves, and systemic metabolic factors rather than a single disease pathway.”
Mandelbaum said there are lifestyle factors people can adopt to help lower the risk of osteoarthritis as well as its painful effects. They include:
- maintaining a healthy body weight
- exercising regularly
- adopting a plant-based diet such as the Mediterranean diet
- limiting alcohol consumption
Baker agreed there are strategies to help reduce risks.
“Maintaining a healthy weight or preventing further weight gain is one of the most effective ways to reduce osteoarthritis risk, particularly for the knees,” he said.
“Regular physical activity, including low impact aerobic exercise and strength training, helps preserve joint function, improve biomechanics, and reduce pain,” he added. “Preventing joint injuries through balance training, fall prevention, and appropriate footwear is especially important in older adults.”
“Managing metabolic health conditions such as diabetes and insulin resistance may also reduce osteoarthritis risk by limiting systemic inflammatory and metabolic stress on joint tissues,” Baker said.
The latest research is not the first to report that GLP-1 drugs have benefits beyond weight loss.
In a 2023 study, researchers said that GLP-1 drugs’ anti-inflammatory properties may help reduce cancer risks.
In 2025, researchers reported that GLP-1 medications can reduce the risk of sudden death and hospitalization in people with a common type of heart failure.
In another 2025 study, GLP-1 drugs were found to be beneficial in lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke in people with type 2 diabetes.
In February 2026, researchers concluded that weight loss drugs containing tirzepatide may help lower the risk of eye disease in people with type 2 diabetes.
