Funding outcome

Health Canada has recently approved Ozempic-like medications for adolescents aged 12 and older who have obesity and have not been successful in losing weight via lifestyle interventions. While clinical trials have shown that these Ozempic-like medications assist with weight loss and lessen risk factors for other diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, some side-effects of these drugs have been shown in adults that have the potential to cause significant long-term health issues in young patients. Of these, we are especially concerned with the reports of a significant loss of skeletal muscle over time as well as the potential for the loss of heart mass. Indeed, maintaining skeletal muscle is essential for overall health, mobility, energy levels, as well as whole body metabolism and maintaining heart mass is key to keeping the heart functioning well over our lifespan. While it has yet to be confirmed how detrimental these effects may be in adults, it is possible that the effects may be even more harmful in adolescents where their bodies are rapidly growing. We have made some observations in obese adult mice that suggests that the Ozempic-like medications cause defects in the energy producing machinery of the cell and that these changes ultimately limit the ability of the skeletal muscle and heart to maintain their mass. One goal of this research project is to investigate if this defect is exaggerated in juvenile mice and if it is, determine how this affects the ability of the skeletal muscle and heart to function properly. Additionally, we will study if there are ways that we can prevent the side-effects of these Ozempic-like medications, thereby preventing loss of heart and skeletal muscle in juvenile mice. If we are successful, this strategy could be used to prevent negative effects of Ozempic-like medications in adolescents, thus protecting these children in the long-term.