Bone health in teens taking GLP-1 weight-loss medicines
Official title: Bone metabolism in adolescents undergoing GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy
Funded at University of Virginia · NIH-11326203 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether GLP-1 weight-loss medicines harm or protect bone growth in adolescents who lose weight.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Virginia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charlottesville, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2015 |
| Project end | April 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $471,776 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD118635-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11326203 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adolescents and young adults with obesity (roughly ages 12–20) who are taking or considering GLP-1 receptor agonist medications.
✕Less likely to help
Younger children outside the study age range and people not using GLP-1 medications are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
What this research studies
If you're a teen or young adult losing weight with a GLP-1 medication, researchers will use bone density tests and 3-D imaging to track your bone mass, structure, and strength over time. They will compare results to teens who lose weight by other means or who aren't taking these medicines, and will measure blood markers of bone formation and breakdown. The team combines scans, clinical data, and laboratory markers to see if GLP-1 drugs preserve bone during the critical years when you build peak bone mass. Findings will be evaluated alongside past results in people who had bariatric surgery to understand differences in bone effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could guide safer weight-loss choices for teens and help protect their long-term bone health.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies are mixed: some adult and preliminary adolescent data suggest bone may be preserved with GLP-1 drugs, while other reports have shown bone loss, so this work addresses that uncertainty.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Misra, Madhusmita — University of Virginia
- Study coordinator: Misra, Madhusmita
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.