BATON ROUGE — Popular weight loss drugs have been linked to osteoporosis.

GLP-1 weight loss medications are transforming how patients manage obesity and Type 2 diabetes, but new research suggests these meds could be linked to up to a 30% increased risk of osteoporosis. It's likely tied to rapid weight loss and its impact on bone density.

While the benefits of GLP-1s are significant, Baton Rouge General Physician's Assistant Angela Roy with the hospital's Bone Health Center says you need to understand how to protect long-term bone health while taking them.

"Right now, there's not evidence that shows a direct biological mechanism for which the drugs impact the bone tissue. So I think that it's more along the lines of this mechanical unloading of this loss of body mass of muscle mass, and you also couple that with changes in nutrition. Patients on these medicines are eating less, so they're not maybe taking in as much protein as they need, maybe not as much calcium as they need, not getting enough vitamin D. So the mechanical unloading of those and then couple that with nutritional deficiencies-  that can speed up bone loss."

Osteoporosis is a major cause of disability in older women. It is a bone-weakening disorder that can result in broken bones, such as in the hip and spine. Roy says strength training, especially while taking GLP-1s, is important to maintain bone health.