TL;DR
Turn quiet afternoons into listening time
- Thousands of audiobooks, podcasts and originals
- Listen on your phone, tablet or Echo — also offline
- Cancel anytime
The American Geriatrics Society has published a case-based framework for prescribing obesity medications, including incretin therapies, to older adults. It recommends assessing function, nutrition and cognition before treatment and addressing risks such as muscle loss, frailty and dehydration.
The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) has published a case-based framework to help clinicians prescribe obesity medications to older adults with attention to health needs that may be more common with age. The guidance applies the AGS Geriatrics 5Ms Framework to incretin therapies, including GLP-1 medications, and calls for assessment of function, nutrition and cognition before treatment.
The paper, developed by the AGS Healthy Aging Special Interest Group, discusses how clinicians can weigh potential benefits of obesity medications against risks relevant to older patients. The source report says these medicines may support weight management and glycemic control, but older adults have been underrepresented in clinical trials. The framework is organized around clinical cases rather than offering a single treatment rule for every patient.
Its approach asks clinicians to consider the five areas in the AGS framework: Mind, Mobility, Medications, Multicomplexity and Matters Most. The authors highlight age-related concerns including frailty, sarcopenia, loss of lean muscle, malnutrition and dehydration. They recommend pretreatment evaluation of functional status, nutritional adequacy and cognitive impairment as part of decisions about whether and how to prescribe.
The authors also recommend pairing medication treatment with measures such as resistance training and adequate dietary protein. Depending on a patient’s needs, care may involve a registered dietitian, physical therapist, fitness trainer or behavioral health professional. The paper is titled “Obesity Medications in Older Adults: A Geriatrics 5Ms Framework for Safe and Patient-Centered Prescribing,” by Elias M. Wisdom and colleagues, and was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in 2026 (DOI: 10.1111/jgs.70769).
How the Framework Shapes Prescribing
The framework addresses a practical gap: clinicians are considering obesity medicines for older patients, yet the source report notes that this group is underrepresented in clinical trials. A patient-centered assessment can bring attention to outcomes beyond weight change, including mobility, strength, nutrition, cognition and a person’s own priorities. These factors may affect how treatment is selected and monitored.
The paper also frames prescribing as more than a medication decision. For an older adult at risk of muscle loss, frailty or poor nutrition, attention to resistance exercise and protein intake may be part of the care plan described by the authors. The framework does not establish that every patient needs the same combination of supports; it points clinicians toward individual assessment and, where appropriate, team-based care.
Products Worth Considering
BowFlex Results Series SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells, Pair
Bowflex SelectTech 840 Adjustable Kettlebell
Philips Sonicare 5950 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush with 2 Brush Heads, Pink
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Applying the Geriatrics 5Ms
The AGS 5Ms approach organizes geriatric care around Mind, Mobility, Medications, Multicomplexity and Matters Most. In this paper, the authors use those domains to structure consideration of incretin therapy and other obesity medications for older adults. The emphasis is on how treatment fits a person’s overall health and goals, rather than focusing only on a medication’s intended effect on weight.
The report identifies the framework as guidance developed by the AGS Healthy Aging Special Interest Group and published in a peer-reviewed geriatrics journal. It does not provide, in the supplied report, detailed recommendations on specific drugs, doses, eligibility thresholds or monitoring schedules. Its stated contribution is a practical, case-based approach to considering treatment in a population for whom trial evidence is limited.
“The framework applies the Geriatrics 5Ms Framework to incretin therapy in older adults.”
— Elias M. Wisdom and colleagues, as summarized in the paper
Evidence Gaps and Individual Risks
The source report does not provide trial results, quantify benefits or harms in older adults, or specify how often particular complications occur. It says older adults are underrepresented in clinical trials, leaving uncertainty about how well findings from broader study populations apply to them. The supplied material also does not give drug-specific prescribing instructions or a standard monitoring schedule.
The framework is intended to guide clinical consideration, not to establish that obesity medication is appropriate for every older person. How clinicians weigh possible benefits against concerns such as frailty, lean-muscle loss, malnutrition and dehydration will depend on the individual. The report does not state whether the recommendations have been tested for effects on patient outcomes.
How Clinicians May Use the Guidance
The paper is now published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Clinicians can use its case-based 5Ms structure to inform discussions and pretreatment assessments, including whether additional nutrition, exercise or behavioral health support is appropriate. The source material does not announce a separate implementation program or a date for updated guidance.
Further evidence on obesity medications in older adults would help clarify treatment effects and risks for this population. For now, the framework’s stated approach is to assess the person’s function, nutrition, cognition and priorities before prescribing, and to tailor any accompanying support to their needs.
Key Questions
What did the American Geriatrics Society publish?
The AGS published a case-based framework for clinicians considering obesity medications for older adults, applying its Geriatrics 5Ms approach to incretin therapies.
What does the 5Ms framework stand for?
The five areas are Mind, Mobility, Medications, Multicomplexity and Matters Most. The paper uses these domains to organize patient-centered prescribing considerations.
What should clinicians assess before treatment?
The authors recommend assessing functional status, nutritional adequacy and cognitive impairment. They also call attention to frailty, sarcopenia, lean-muscle loss and dehydration.
What support may accompany medication?
The authors recommend resistance training and adequate dietary protein. Depending on a patient’s circumstances, care may also involve a dietitian, physical therapist, fitness trainer or behavioral health professional.
Does the framework recommend medication for every older adult?
No. The report describes a framework for clinical decision-making, not a universal prescription. Treatment decisions should account for an individual’s health, function, nutrition and goals; the supplied source does not provide drug-specific eligibility rules.
Source: medicalxpress.com
