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.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Community contributions welcome

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Effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in osteoarthritis: A systematic review of pre-clinical and human studies

Systematic Review

Animal

2025 Mar

The study looks at whether GLP-1 drugs might help protect knee cartilage in people with osteoarthritis, and it finds some early signs they might. But it doesn’t prove exactly what the claim says about slowing cartilage loss in diabetics using MRI.

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in osteoarthritis: A systematic review of pre-clinical and human studies

Score: 8

DOI: 10.1016/j.ocarto.2025.100567

Similar Assertions

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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