Not the way the headlines say. The “30% higher risk of osteoporosis” comes from one records study, not yet published in a journal, in which about 4 in 100 people on a GLP-1 and about 3 in 100 people not on one were diagnosed with osteoporosis. A one-year trial did find some bone loss on a GLP-1 alone, but people who also exercised lost no more bone than people on a placebo, so the fix is to lift weights and eat enough protein.
Dr. Saremi reads the study behind a viral “shredding your bones” clip and explains what protects your bones.
Where does the “30% higher risk” come from?
It comes from one study presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons meeting in March 2026. Researchers looked back at the medical records of about 146,000 adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity, some taking semaglutide or liraglutide and some not.
About 4 in 100 of the people on a GLP-1 were diagnosed with osteoporosis, against about 3 in 100 of those who weren’t. The exact figures were 4% and 3.1%, and 4% is about 30% more than 3.1%, which is where the headline number comes from. The gap is about one extra diagnosis per hundred people.
Does that study show Ozempic causes osteoporosis?
No. A study that looks back at records can show that two things happen together, not that one causes the other. People who get a GLP-1 can differ in many ways from people who don’t, and the records can’t fully account for that. The study was a conference abstract and, as of October 26, 2026, still hadn’t appeared in a peer-reviewed journal.
Do GLP-1s lower bone density?
A randomized trial gives a clearer answer than the records study. In it, 195 adults with obesity first lost weight on a low-calorie diet, then spent a year on liraglutide (an older GLP-1), exercise, both, or a placebo.
People on liraglutide alone lost bone density at the hip and spine compared with people who only exercised. People who took liraglutide and exercised lost no more bone than people on the placebo. The trial used liraglutide, not semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy), but it points to exercise as what made the difference.
How do I protect my bones on a GLP-1?
Lift weights and eat enough protein. That means working your muscles against weight a few times a week, at home or in a gym. Our page on protein and strength training on a GLP-1 covers how much protein to aim for and simple moves that don’t need a gym.
Don’t stop your GLP-1 because of this headline. If you’re worried about your bones, raise it with the doctor who prescribes it.
Do I need a bone density scan?
Follow the same advice as everyone else, GLP-1 or not. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends a bone density scan for women 65 and older, and for women past menopause who are younger than 65 but at higher risk, for example because a parent broke a hip. If that’s you, ask your doctor about one.
Sources
- Horneff et al., American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting, March 2026 (conference abstract, not peer-reviewed), as reported by NBC News: osteoporosis in 4% of GLP-1 users vs 3.1% of non-users
- Jensen et al., bone health after exercise, liraglutide or both, JAMA Network Open, 2024: a secondary analysis of a one-year randomized trial
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, osteoporosis screening: who should be screened