Ozempic cuts knee osteoarthritis pain by almost half: ‘That’s huge’

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A new large-scale study finds that medications like Ozempic and Wegovy can seriously reduce knee pain for those with moderate to severe osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, is mainly caused by the wear and tear of the protective layer of cartilage on the ends of our bones – similar to wearing out a rubber band.

Dr. Vinay K. Aggarwal, a hip and knee reconstruction specialist at NYU Langone’s Department of Orthopedic Surgeryrecently told The Post, “Osteoarthritis is most common in the hip joints, causing pain in the hips and sides of the hips, and the knee joints, leading to pain in the front, sides, or the back of the knees.”

Researchers in the latest study were hopeful that the semaglutide medication, which mimic the body’s natural GLP-1 hormone and was originally developed to treat diabetes, could help relieve pain in osteoarthritis patients.

The results turned out to be even better than expected.

Dr. Bob Carter, deputy director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, told the New York Times this week, “The magnitude of the improvement is of a magnitude that we have not seen before with a drug. They had almost a 50% reduction in knee pain. That’s huge.”

Published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the 68-week study conducted by Wegovy and Ozempic manufacturer Novo Nordisk tracked 407 obese patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis.

To be included, participants had to meet certain criteria, such as morning stiffness and audibly clicking or popping knees.

At the start of the study, the researchers used a 100-point pain scale to calculate functionality and stiffness. Participants reported an average pain level of 70.9 points.

“They were really in pain,” said Dr. Henning Bliddal, principal investigator for the study and a rheumatologist at Copenhagen University Hospital, told the Times. “They can’t exercise. You’re stuck with knees like this.”

Participants were predominantly female, with a mean age of 56 years and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 40.3.

A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese, while a BMI of 40 or higher is considered very obese.

All participants underwent exercise counseling and calorie restriction and were randomly assigned to either a placebo or Wegovy, which is prescribed for weight loss in adults.

The semaglutide contingent lost an average of 13.7% of baseline weight, while the placebo group lost 3.2%.

While the weight loss in the semaglutide group is consistent with the typical effects of these drugs, the level of pain reduction surprised the researchers.

At the end of the study, the placebo group reported a reduction in pain of 27.5 points, while the semaglutide group reported a reduction of 41.7 points.

Experts note that aside from knee surgery, this dramatic pain reduction outperforms other courses of treatment, including steroid injections or over-the-counter pain relievers, which over time can cause damage to internal organs.

“The good news is that surgery works for most people,” Carter said. “The bad news is that it’s extremely expensive. We desperately need an effective way to treat knee pain.”

Some factors that accelerate osteoarthritis, such as age and genetic predisposition, are beyond our control, but others, such as obesity and exercise, fall within it.

As The Post previously reported, research shows that people who cycle frequently are significantly less likely to develop osteoarthritis by age 65.

Obesity, in particular, worsens osteoarthritis and the pain associated with it. Studies show that every pound of excess body weight can increase the pressure on the knee joints, creating four to six times the force on those joints.

Semaglutide may be doubly effective as a treatment for osteoarthritis. It helps patients lose weight by reducing inflammation. These drugs activate specific T cells, white blood cells key to the immune system, which can have anti-inflammatory effects.

This latest development adds another potential benefit to the growing list of ways semaglutide can improve overall health.

Recent studies have shown that drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic can help fight kidney disease and can be useful in preventing and treating substance abuse.

In a clinical trial, the use of Wegovy was associated with improved exercise capacity in people with diabetes and heart failure. In March, Wegovy was approved to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack and other serious cardiovascular problems in patients who are overweight or obese.

Preliminary research has also suggested that semaglutide may protect against neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation, meaning that drugs like Ozempic could potentially protect against Alzheimer’s.