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Samsung and MGH Launch Trial Using Galaxy Watch to Track Muscle Loss on GLP‑1 Therapy

It tests whether watch-collected heart rate, activity, and body-composition data using Samsung Health guidance can help detect and limit muscle loss during GLP‑1 weight-loss treatment.

Overview

  • The study was announced Thursday and will enroll 100 adults starting GLP‑1 medications, dividing participants into a group that uses the Galaxy Watch8 with personalized exercise guidance and a group that receives standard care.
  • Researchers will compare wearable-generated measures against clinical dual-energy X‑ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans to objectively track changes in muscle and body composition over the trial.
  • Samsung and MGH plan to use biometric signals from the watch—body-composition estimates, activity levels, and heart rate—combined with Samsung Health coaching to see if patients can preserve lean mass while losing weight.
  • The collaboration builds on prior research partnerships between Samsung and MGH but does not mean new watch features are immediately available because translating study findings into consumer-health tools typically requires further validation and regulatory steps.
  • The trial responds to growing concern that GLP‑1 drugs can cause rapid loss of muscle as people lose weight and could, if validated, give clinicians a continuous, low-cost way to monitor and guide patients during treatment.