About 36% of patients indicate moderate to very high concern about muscle loss, and up to 55% are making correlated lifestyle changes; 61% of patients consulted their general physician before starting treatment
MIAMI, Fla. 15 July 2025 — Veru, a late clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative medicines for the treatment of cardiometabolic and inflammatory diseases, today released findings from a survey of 1,000 patients taking a GLP-1 Receptor Agonist (GLP-1 RA) medication. The results suggest that patients are concerned about the risk of GLP-1-induced muscle loss, and many are making lifestyle changes—such as resistance training and high-protein diets—that reflect this concern. The survey furthermore reveals that the majority of patients consult their general physician or primary care doctor before starting treatment, highlighting an opportunity for physicians to inform patients about the risk of GLP-1-induced muscle loss and the measures they can take to reduce it.
Patients Are Concerned About the Risk of Muscle Loss
When asked to rate the risk of experiencing side effects from their GLP-1 treatment, respondents were notably concerned. About 50%, 44%, and 36% of respondents perceive a moderate to very high risk of gastrointestinal issues, neurological effects, and muscle loss or weakness, respectively.
Question: How would you rate the risk of experiencing any of the following side effects from the GLP-1 medication you are taking?
|
Response |
Very Low |
Low |
Moderate |
High |
Very High |
Do Not Know |
|
Nausea, constipation or diarrhea |
18% |
31% |
35% |
9% |
6% |
1% |
|
Fatigue, dizziness, or headaches |
22% |
33% |
30% |
10% |
4% |
1% |
|
Muscle loss or weakness |
29% |
34% |
23% |
9% |
4% |
2% |
These levels of concern roughly correlate with the rates at which patients experience side effects; about half the number of concerned respondents in each category noticed the side effects first-hand. Roughly 25% experienced nausea, constipation, or diarrhea; 22% experienced fatigue, dizziness, or headaches; and 15% experienced muscle loss or weakness, per the multiple-selection question. Altogether about 34% of respondents indicated that they have experienced side effects of some sort.
Question: What side effects have you experienced? (Multiple Selection)
|
Response |
Percentage of Respondents |
|
Nausea, constipation or diarrhea |
25% |
|
Fatigue, dizziness, or headaches |
22% |
|
Muscle loss or weakness |
15% |
|
Other |
<1% |
|
Did not report any side effects |
66% |
The percentage of respondents that report having experienced muscle loss is especially significant given that 82% of respondents were under the age of 60; steady lean mass loss can continue for months or years before younger, stronger patients ever take notice. Indeed 32% of respondents aged 60 or higher—a population especially sensitive to decreases in functional strength—reported experiencing muscle loss first-hand, more than twice the overall percentage.
Patients Report Lifestyle Changes that Reflect Muscle Loss Concerns
Many patients reported lifestyle changes that reflect their concerns about the risk of GLP-1 related lean mass decline. When asked about dietary measures taken to stay healthy, about 36% of patients reported specifically following a high-protein diet, while 55% reported eating more whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. Protein is crucial for building and maintaining lean muscle mass.
Question: What dietary measures (if any) are you taking to stay healthy? (Multiple Selection)
|
Response |
Percentage of Respondents |
|
Eating more whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins |
55% |
|
Reducing sugar and processed foods |
52% |
|
Supplements / vitamins |
50% |
|
High protein diet |
36% |
|
Following a calorie-restricted or portion-controlled diet |
28% |
|
I am not making any meaningful changes to my diet |
7% |
|
Other |
1% |
A similar proportion of respondents (38%) perform strength or resistance exercises, which have been shown to mitigate muscle weakness in populations at risk of lean mass decline.
Question: What physical activities or exercises (if any) are you doing to stay healthy? (Multiple Selection)
|
Response |
Percentage of Respondents |
|
Regular cardio (e.g., walking, running, cycling, swimming) |
63% |
|
Strength or resistance training (e.g., weightlifting, bodyweight exercises) |
38% |
|
Low-impact or flexibility-focused activities (e.g., yoga, stretching, Pilates) |
33% |
|
I’m not engaging in any meaningful physical activity or exercise |
14% |
|
Other |
1% |
Where Patients Get Their Information
The survey also asked patients to indicate which sources they consulted prior to beginning their GLP-1 treatment. The results show that general physicians or primary care doctors are by far the foremost source of advice for GLP-1 patients (consulted by 61% of respondents), followed by friends and family (30%) and pharmacists (25%).
Question: What information sources did you consult before starting your GLP-1 medication? (Multiple Selection)
|
Response |
Percentage of Respondents |
|
My general physician or primary care doctor |
61% |
|
My friends or family |
30% |
|
My pharmacist |
25% |
|
Health portals such as Healthline, Mayo Clinic or WebMD |
24% |
|
My insurance company |
23% |
|
My endocrinologist |
18% |
|
Social networks (Reddit, X, Facebook, others) |
18% |
|
Media (print, online, TV, radio) |
14% |
|
ChatGPT, Claude or other LLMs |
13% |
|
My support group |
11% |
|
Government agencies such as CDC and NIH |
6% |
|
Other |
1% |
The position of general physicians as the primary advisors on GLP-1 medication presents an opportunity to educate uninformed patients about the risk of muscle loss associated with their treatment. Physicians also have an opportunity to inform patients about potential means of reducing that risk, including lifestyle changes and specialized muscle-preserving medications.
“It is evident that patients are aware of the substantial risk that GLP-1 RAs pose to their muscle mass and physical function,” said Dr. Mitchell Steiner, CEO at Veru. “While diet and exercise are instrumental in combating lean mass decline, there is a mounting need—especially among the senior population—for treatments that can address the muscle loss which accompanies GLP-1 RAs. It is imperative that patients are presented with all the measures at their disposal to protect their long-term wellbeing.”
About Veru Inc.
Veru is a late clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative medicines for the treatment of cardiometabolic and inflammatory diseases. The Company’s drug development program includes two late-stage novel small molecules, enobosarm and sabizabulin. Enobosarm, a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM), is being developed as a next-generation drug that makes weight reduction by GLP-1 RA drugs more tissue-selective for loss of fat and preservation of lean mass, thereby improving body composition and physical function. Sabizabulin, a microtubule disruptor, is being developed for the treatment of inflammation in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Note to the Editor
The full survey report, including answers to 11 questions, is available upon request. A chart visualizing how patients perceive the risk of various side effects can be found as both a pdf and png file at this link.
Methodology Note
The survey was conducted in May 2025 and sampled 1,000 individuals taking a GLP-1 medication at the time of submission. The respondents were distributed across the following age bands: 5.2% are aged 18–24, 22.3% are 25–34, 25.2% are 35–44, 21.2% are 45–54, 14.7% are 55–64, and 11.4% are 65 or older. 56.9% of respondents were male and 43.1% were female.The survey has a margin of error of ±3% and a confidence level of 95%.
# # #