Ozempic has been lauded for its ability to treat a number of chronic conditions on top of obesity, including orthopedic pain.
A new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows that it could be beneficial for treating knee pain caused by osteoarthritis.
The study reviewed 407 people with obesity and knee osteoarthritis taking semaglutide, the active component of Ozempic and Wegovy, or a placebo over 68 weeks.
At the study's onset, the average amount of pain the participants had on a 100-point scale was 70.9. Patients taking semaglutide lost an average of 13.7% of their starting body weight, while those who used the placebo lost 3.2%.
The most significant reported physical improvement was to patient knee pain. People who took semaglutide had a 41.7-point reduction in pain compared to those who took a placebo and saw their pain reduced by 27.5 points.
The study notes that the reduction in pain could also come from significant weight loss, meaning patients have less weight bearing down on their joints.
"I believe it’s primarily due to the weight loss,” said Mir Ali, MD, a general surgeon, bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif., in an article from Prevention. "We see the same improvements in our patients who have surgical weight loss and other weight loss."