People with knee arthritis and type 2 diabetes who took GLP-1 drugs for nearly 5 years had slower knee cartilage loss, even after accounting for weight loss or blood sugar changes — meaning these drugs might actually be helping protect the joints.

People with knee arthritis and type 2 diabetes who take GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic might lose knee cartilage more slowly, which could help delay joint damage.

If you have knee arthritis and diabetes, taking GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic might help slow down the wearing away of knee cartilage, according to one study that watched people over time.

For people with knee arthritis and type 2 diabetes, taking GLP-1 drugs (like Ozempic) may lower the chance of needing knee surgery — and about one-third of that benefit comes from losing weight, not just from better blood sugar control.

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.

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.