Latest news with #NaveedSattar
The Irish Sun
07-07-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
‘King Kong' of fat jabs ‘helps you TONE up' – as scientists discover surprising ‘fitness boost'
A NEW study challenges the idea that weight loss jabs decrease muscle mass, alongside fat. Scientists say one injection - known as the 'King Kong' of weight loss jabs - may swerve this side effect. 2 The weight loss jab Mounjaro leads to no more muscle loss than you'd get from losing weight without the medication Credit: Getty 2 Scientists also found that jab may help remove fat from within muscles, boosting exercise performance Credit: Getty In fact, it could help users tone up, researchers from the University of Glasgow said. Their study analysed the body composition of more than 200 people and found they lost no more muscle from the weight loss jab It suggested muscle loss from shedding weight will be similar with or without the injections. But researchers also noticed that Mounjaro-users also lost fat from inside their muscles - much more than they would have done from losing weight without the medicines. Getting rid of the fat marbling muscles may improve how they work and boost people's ability to exercise, scientists said. That's because the fat that gets into muscles and surrounds vital organs - which is different from the fat layer just beneath the skin - has been linked with muscle weakness and poorer physical performance. The study's lead author Naveed Sattar, a professor of metabolic medicine at Glasgow University's Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, told 'Having less muscle fat usually means the remaining fat muscle cells are more efficient in generating power , which could explain the boost to people's exercise abilities. Most read in Health "These results are hugely encouraging as less muscle fat is also linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and 'However, we don't yet know how weight-loss injections remove additional muscle fat, and more evidence is needed to understand the mechanisms involved.' Women taking fat jabs need 'effective contraception' - as health chiefs warn of serious harm to unborn babies Muscle is important for health. Not only does it support the body to move efficiently - and therefore support healthy ageing - but it plays a role in blood sugar regulation, metabolism and bone health. It also shapes the body, and people who use the jabs may find their body is lacking tone or definition as a result, compared to other slim people. When someone is overweight or not very active, they're more likely to get streaks of fat in their muscles. It's possible to reduce it by doing aerobic exercise such as jogging, walking and cycling. But for people who have difficulty exercising due to their weight or other conditions, using weight loss jabs to get rid of muscle fat holds promise. The study, published in It assessed 246 people with type 2 diabetes who were either given varying doses of Mounjaro - 5 mg , 10 mg, or 15 mg - once a week, or daily insulin injections. Researchers used MRI scans to measure amount of muscle and fat each person had in their thighs before the treatment, and a year after starting it. They compared muscle loss in tirzepatide users to typical muscle loss in people of the same age and sex, who lost the same amount of weight without the jabs - using the data of 3,000 people from the UK Biobank study. Both groups lost a similar amount of muscle. Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight. They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high. Can I get them? NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics. Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss. Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk. Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health. Are there any risks? Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines. But Mounjaro-takers lost 0.5 per cent more fat from within their muscles. Researchers didn't assess participants' ability to exercise after taking the jabs. "As the study was not specifically designed to evaluate muscle-related changes, assessments of strength, mobility, and physical performance are not available," they wrote. They also said other factors may have lead to loss of fat within muscles. "There were no specific instructions in our study about dietary changes or exercise training beyond the standard of care at each site and region, and we cannot exclude the influence that individual differences in lifestyle management might have had on the results," scientists wrote. "It has been reported that resistance exercise training or dietary supplements might exert a positive effect on muscle composition, and are recommended when substantial weight reduction is achieved or expected (eg. after bariatric surgery)." The findings indicate that Mounjaro gets rid of fat from different parts of the body better than conventional weight loss, scientists said, as well as dimming hunger pangs. That could help to explain evidence suggesting weight-loss injections may reduce the risk of diabetes and many other chronic diseases. Read more on the Irish Sun Researchers called for more studies "into long-term changes in muscle strength, mobility, and physical performance in people treated with tirzepatide". Other studies have shown that weight loss jabs cause a drop in muscle mass. For example, Britain will be 'fat free' within a decade The Health Secretary told The Sun he is on a mission to slash levies by giving more people access to drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro. Wes Streeting said: 'The jabs are a route not just to lower weight, but lower taxes.' Obesity-related illnesses cost the NHS a whopping £6billion every year. Currently people with a BMI of 35 or more - or 30 but with a health condition - can be prescribed jabs on the NHS through specialist weight-management services. Read the full story here and find out whether you are likely to be eligible.
Scottish Sun
07-07-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
‘King Kong' of fat jabs ‘help you TONE up' – as scientists discover surprising ‘fitness boost'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ALONG with rapid fat loss, weight loss jabs have been linked to a decrease in muscle mass. But scientists say one injection - known as the 'King Kong' of weight loss jabs - may swerve this side effect. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The weight loss jab Mounjaro leads to no more muscle loss than you'd get from losing weight without the medication Credit: Getty 2 Scientists also found that jab may help remove fat from within muscles, boosting exercise performance Credit: Getty In fact, it could help users tone up, researchers from the University of Glasgow said. Their study analysed the body composition of more than 200 people and found they lost no more muscle from the weight loss jab Mounjaro than if they had lost weight a different way. It suggested muscle loss from shedding weight will be similar with or without the injections. But researchers also noticed that Mounjaro-users also lost fat from inside their muscles - much more than they would have done from losing weight without the medicines. Getting rid of the fat marbling muscles may improve how they work and boost people's ability to exercise, scientists said. That's because the fat that gets into muscles and surrounds vital organs - which is different from the fat layer just beneath the skin - has been linked with muscle weakness and poorer physical performance. The study's lead author Naveed Sattar, a professor of metabolic medicine at Glasgow University's Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, told The Times: 'For the majority of people using the weight-loss injection tirzepatide [the active ingredient in Mounjaro], they experience an increase in their capacity for activity, meaning they can often walk for longer or be more active than before. 'Having less muscle fat usually means the remaining fat muscle cells are more efficient in generating power, which could explain the boost to people's exercise abilities. "These results are hugely encouraging as less muscle fat is also linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in many studies. 'However, we don't yet know how weight-loss injections remove additional muscle fat, and more evidence is needed to understand the mechanisms involved.' When someone is overweight or not very active, they're more likely to get streaks of fat in their muscles. It's possible to reduce it by doing aerobic exercise such as jogging, walking and cycling. But for people have difficulty exercising due to their weight or other conditions, using weight loss jabs to get rid of muscle fat holds promise. The study, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, was conducted at 45 medical research centres and hospitals in eight countries - including Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Spain and the US. It assessed 246 people with type 2 diabetes who were either given varying doses of Mounjaro - 5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg - once a week, or daily insulin injections. Researchers used MRI scans to measure amount of muscle and fat each person had in their thighs before the treatment, and a year after starting it. They compared muscle loss in tirzepatide users to typical muscle loss in people of the same age and sex, who lost the same amount of weight without the jabs - using the data of 3,000 people from the UK Biobank study. Both groups lost a similar amount of muscle. Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight. They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high. Can I get them? NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics. Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss. Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk. Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health. Are there any risks? Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines. But Mounjaro-takers lost 0.5 per cent more fat from within their muscles. Researchers didn't assess participants' ability to exercise after taking the jabs. "As the study was not specifically designed to evaluate muscle-related changes, assessments of strength, mobility, and physical performance are not available," they wrote. They also said other factors may have lead to loss of fat within muscles. "There were no specific instructions in our study about dietary changes or exercise training beyond the standard of care at each site and region, and we cannot exclude the influence that individual differences in lifestyle management might have had on the results," scientists wrote. "It has been reported that resistance exercise training or dietary supplements might exert a positive effect on muscle composition, and are recommended when substantial weight reduction is achieved or expected (eg. after bariatric surgery)." The findings indicate that Mounjaro gets rid of fat from different parts of the body better than conventional weight loss, scientists said, as well as dimming hunger pangs. That could help to explain evidence suggesting weight-loss injections may reduce the risk of diabetes and many other chronic diseases. Researchers called for more studies "into long-term changes in muscle strength, mobility, and physical performance in people treated with tirzepatide".
The Sun
07-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
‘King Kong' of fat jabs ‘help you TONE up' – as scientists discover surprising ‘fitness boost'
ALONG with rapid fat loss, weight loss jabs have been linked to a decrease in muscle mass. But scientists say one injection - known as the 'King Kong' of weight loss jabs - may swerve this side effect. 2 In fact, it could help users tone up, researchers from the University of Glasgow said. Their study analysed the body composition of more than 200 people and found they lost no more muscle from the weight loss jab Mounjaro than if they had lost weight a different way. It suggested muscle loss from shedding weight will be similar with or without the injections. But researchers also noticed that Mounjaro-users also lost fat from inside their muscles - much more than they would have done from losing weight without the medicines. Getting rid of the fat marbling muscles may improve how they work and boost people's ability to exercise, scientists said. That's because the fat that gets into muscles and surrounds vital organs - which is different from the fat layer just beneath the skin - has been linked with muscle weakness and poorer physical performance. The study's lead author Naveed Sattar, a professor of metabolic medicine at Glasgow University's Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, told The Times: 'For the majority of people using the weight-loss injection tirzepatide [the active ingredient in Mounjaro], they experience an increase in their capacity for activity, meaning they can often walk for longer or be more active than before. 'Having less muscle fat usually means the remaining fat muscle cells are more efficient in generating power, which could explain the boost to people's exercise abilities. "These results are hugely encouraging as less muscle fat is also linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in many studies. 'However, we don't yet know how weight-loss injections remove additional muscle fat, and more evidence is needed to understand the mechanisms involved.' When someone is overweight or not very active, they're more likely to get streaks of fat in their muscles. It's possible to reduce it by doing aerobic exercise such as jogging, walking and cycling. But for people have difficulty exercising due to their weight or other conditions, using weight loss jabs to get rid of muscle fat holds promise. The study, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, was conducted at 45 medical research centres and hospitals in eight countries - including Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Spain and the US. It assessed 246 people with type 2 diabetes who were either given varying doses of Mounjaro - 5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg - once a week, or daily insulin injections. Researchers used MRI scans to measure amount of muscle and fat each person had in their thighs before the treatment, and a year after starting it. They compared muscle loss in tirzepatide users to typical muscle loss in people of the same age and sex, who lost the same amount of weight without the jabs - using the data of 3,000 people from the UK Biobank study. Both groups lost a similar amount of muscle. Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight. They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high. Can I get them? NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics. Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss. Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk. Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health. Are there any risks? Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines. But Mounjaro-takers lost 0.5 per cent more fat from within their muscles. Researchers didn't assess participants' ability to exercise after taking the jabs. "As the study was not specifically designed to evaluate muscle-related changes, assessments of strength, mobility, and physical performance are not available," they wrote. They also said other factors may have lead to loss of fat within muscles. "There were no specific instructions in our study about dietary changes or exercise training beyond the standard of care at each site and region, and we cannot exclude the influence that individual differences in lifestyle management might have had on the results," scientists wrote. "It has been reported that resistance exercise training or dietary supplements might exert a positive effect on muscle composition, and are recommended when substantial weight reduction is achieved or expected (eg. after bariatric surgery)." The findings indicate that Mounjaro gets rid of fat from different parts of the body better than conventional weight loss, scientists said, as well as dimming hunger pangs. That could help to explain evidence suggesting weight-loss injections may reduce the risk of diabetes and many other chronic diseases.
Times
06-07-2025
- Health
- Times
Weight-loss injections could make you fitter without exercise
Weight-loss jabs could help people become fitter by making their muscles work more efficiently, evidence suggests. Anecdotally, there is concern among people who use treatments such as Mounjaro that weight loss will make them less muscular, toned and strong. However, a study analysing the body composition of more than 200 people with type 2 diabetes, found they lost no more muscle after a weight-loss jab than if they had lost weight by other means. Meanwhile, they shed significantly more fat from within their muscles than they would have done losing weight another way. • The weight-loss drugs guide: how to avoid the side effects The loss of fat from the muscles after taking tirzepatide, the prescription injection sold as Mounjaro, could also boost someone's capacity to do physical activity. That is because 'ectopic' fat found within the body, which gets into muscles and wraps in and around other organs, has been linked with poorer muscle strength and physical performance in both men and women. Naveed Sattar, the lead author of the study and a professor of metabolic medicine at the Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences at the University of Glasgow, said: 'For the majority of people using the weight-loss injection tirzepatide, they experience an increase in their capacity for activity, meaning they can often walk for longer or be more active than before. 'Having less muscle fat usually means the remaining fat muscle cells are more efficient in generating power, which could explain the boost to people's exercise abilities. These results are hugely encouraging as less muscle fat is also linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in many studies. 'However, we don't yet know how weight-loss injections remove additional muscle fat, and more evidence is needed to understand the mechanisms involved.' Fat streaks within the muscles tend to increase when someone is more overweight or sedentary. They can be reduced through aerobic exercise such as jogging, walking and cycling. But the use of weight-loss injections to achieve a similar result could be useful for people who are unable to be as active because of their excess weight. • 'After taking weight-loss drugs, my life fell apart' The research, published in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, looked at 246 people given varying doses of tirzepatide, or insulin in a previous study. An MRI scan was used to quantify the amount of muscle and fat each person had in their thighs before the treatment, and a year after starting it. The amount of muscle lost by people using tirzepatide was compared to typical muscle loss in people of the same age and sex, losing the same amount of weight. Muscle loss was broadly similar for both groups. However, the percentage of fat lost from their muscles was 0.5 per cent higher if they took tirzepatide than would be expected from losing the same amount of weight without the drug. Researchers worked this out using data for almost 3,000 people taken from the long-running UK Biobank health study. It may be that tirzepatide not only makes people feel fuller for longer and less hungry, but also removes ectopic fat from different parts of the body better than conventional weight loss. That could help to explain evidence suggesting weight-loss injections may reduce the risk of diabetes and many other chronic diseases.
Glasgow Times
26-06-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Mounjaro could be available on prescription by Glasgow health board
Health board bosses are looking into costings around giving Mounjaro to obese patients whose health they believe could benefit from the slimming jab. The move comes after senior officials at NHS England gave GPs permission to issue the drug to 220,000 severely overweight people with associated health problems over the next three years. In the first year of the programme, the drug will be offered to people with a body mass index (BMI) score of over 40 who have at least four other health problems linked to obesity such as type 2 diabetes; high blood pressure; heart disease and obstructive sleep apnoea. Mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide, works by regulating the user's appetite by mimicking a naturally produced hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). When we eat, GLP-1 is released and signals sent to the brain to reduce the feeling of hunger. Currently patients in Glasgow can only access the injections through a specialist weight service or at a pharmacy, where the jabs cost around £209 per month. Initially developed for the management of type 2 diabetes, the medication has been licensed in the UK for obesity treatment since November 2024, earning acclaim for its effectiveness in helping with rapid and substantial weight loss. Freedom of Information requests show that 5,866 people are currently being seen by specialist weight loss services in Scotland, but doctors say the number of people who would benefit from a weight loss drug is far higher. After the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) granted approval, there was concern that not all health boards had a weight management service model to support the recommendations - and that the potential level of uptake, along with ongoing supply issues, could pose a challenge for budgets. Any patients being prescribed the drugs on the NHS would need to see a specialist before starting the injections. Professor Naveed Sattar, from Glasgow University, is chair of the UK government's Obesity Mission. He says that when such breakthrough drugs comes along - like statins did 30 years ago - they are expensive at first, but then prices start to fall, making them more widely affordable to health chiefs. Prof Sattar believes the trend would mean medics would then be able to "widen the net" of people who could be prescribed Mounjaro on the NHS. We previously told how Angela Brown reversed her type 2 diabetes and lost five and half stone after turning to the jags, which have also become a favourite of celebrities such as Elon Musk and singer Meghan Trainor. Angela Brown (Image: Colin Mearns) READ NEXT: Cumbernauld woman's surgery goal after Mounjaro weight loss The 52-year-old gran from Cumbernauld tipped the scales at 24 stone and knew she had to quickly shed the pounds to get her health back on track. Angela said: 'I overhauled my diet and lost six stone initially, taking me to 18 stone, but I struggled to shift the rest. I tried everything but nothing seemed to work, then after taking medical advice, I started using Mounjaro and the weight just melted away. It helped my metabolism to kick in and I lost another five and a half stone.' A spokesperson for NHSGGC added: 'We are currently exploring prescribing and monitoring pathways for Mounjaro to patients before inclusion in the GGC formulary.'
