A new study suggests that semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) may have unexpected benefits for people with type 2 diabetes. Researchers found that patients taking the drug had fewer fractures and greater weight loss than patients receiving several other anti-obesity treatments.
The findings were presented Sunday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois.
According to this study, the use of semaglutide is associated with a 15% lower risk of fractures compared to alternative weight loss drugs. The results indicate a possible protective effect on bone health, but the researchers say additional prospective studies are needed to confirm the association.
Semaglutide, weight loss, bone health
Semaglutide belongs to a class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1) and is commonly prescribed to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Previous research has raised concerns that the rapid weight loss associated with GLP-1 drugs may contribute to bone thinning and increase fracture risk. In contrast, losing weight more slowly and gradually may help maintain bone density. Semaglutide is known to produce greater weight loss than many older anti-obesity drugs, but its effects on bone health have not been well studied compared to other weight loss drugs.
To explore this question, researchers led by Dr. Jairo Noreña, a former endocrinology fellow at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California, looked at changes in body mass index (BMI) and fracture rates in patients with type 2 diabetes. Participants were treated with semaglutide, dulaglutide, or the oral weight loss therapies phentermine/topiramate and bupropion/naltrexone.
“Fractures are painful, costly, and can seriously impact quality of life, especially in old age,” Noreña says. “We hope this study will facilitate monitoring of bone health in weight loss programs.”
Analysis of over 59,000 patients
Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Atropos Health Eos electronic medical records database. This database includes data on 161 million patients treated at U.S. community hospitals and academic medical centers from January 2016 to December 2023.
The analysis included adults aged 18 and older with type 2 diabetes who had no previous fractures and were not taking osteoporosis medications. The semaglutide group included 26,324 patients (n = 26,324). The comparison group included 33,555 patients (n = 33,555) who received dulaglutide, phentermine/topiramate, or bupropion/naltrexone and had no history of semaglutide use.
Fewer fractures and significantly lower BMI
Patients treated with semaglutide experienced a greater reduction in BMI than patients in the comparison group. Additionally, there were fewer fractures overall.
In the semaglutide users, the researchers recorded 794 fractures, compared to 1,045 in the control group.
“This study is an important early step in understanding the impact of weight loss with semaglutide on bone health in people with type 2 diabetes,” Professor Noreña said.
