People with diabetes—whether they're obese or not—who take GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic might end up needing more joint injections over five years than similar people not on these meds, which could mean their joint pain is worse even if their blood sugar and metabolism are just as well controlled.

If you're obese but don't have diabetes, taking GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic for five years doesn't seem to raise your risk of joint problems like arthritis or needing joint surgery — so if joint issues show up in people with diabetes on these drugs, it might be because of their diabetes, not the drug itself.

If you have diabetes and take GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic for five years, you might be more likely to develop hip or knee arthritis—even if you're not overweight. These meds help with blood sugar and weight, but this claim says they could also hurt your joints over time.

People with knee arthritis and diabetes who take GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic seem to need knee surgery less often — 1.7% of them did over 6 years, compared to 5.9% who didn’t take the drugs — and some of this benefit comes from losing weight.

People with knee arthritis and type 2 diabetes who take GLP-1 drugs (like Ozempic) may be less likely to need knee surgery—only 1.7% did, compared to 5.9% who didn’t take the drugs, over about 8 years.

If someone with knee or joint pain loses more weight using GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, they might feel less pain — and this could mean that getting healthier on a metabolic level helps ease joint symptoms.