Samsung is using Galaxy Watch wearables to monitor patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists — drugs such as semaglutide, sold under the brand name Ozempic — to measure what weight loss strips away beyond fat.
The six-month study pairs Samsung with a major U.S. hospital, though Samsung has not publicly named the institution.
What the study targets
GLP-1 drugs work by mimicking a gut hormone that regulates appetite and blood sugar, suppressing hunger and slowing digestion. Rapid weight loss from these medications can include loss of lean muscle mass and bone density, a side effect researchers and clinicians have flagged with growing frequency.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch sensors will track physical activity levels, heart rate variability, and other biometric data continuously across the study period. The goal is to build a clearer picture of how muscle and bone composition change in patients using the drugs over time.
Why wearables matter here
Clinical assessments of body composition typically require lab visits and DEXA scans — a form of low-dose X-ray imaging that measures bone and soft tissue. Continuous passive monitoring through a wrist-worn device offers data between those appointments that clinical snapshots miss.
That gap matters. Muscle loss can accelerate quietly between check-ins, and patients may not report symptoms until deterioration is measurable.
The scale of the GLP-1 market
Demand for GLP-1 drugs has climbed sharply. Reuters reported that Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, recorded full-year 2024 sales of 232.3 billion Danish kroner, driven largely by its GLP-1 portfolio. Eli Lilly, maker of the rival drug tirzepatide, also posted record revenues tied to its own GLP-1 treatments.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 40% of American adults qualify as obese, a figure that has driven physician prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs well beyond their original diabetes indication.
As prescriptions expand, so does clinical uncertainty around long-term effects on body composition in non-diabetic populations using the drugs solely for weight loss.
Samsung’s wider health strategy
Samsung has positioned its Galaxy Watch line as a health monitoring platform beyond basic fitness tracking. The devices carry sensors for electrocardiogram readings, blood oxygen estimation, and sleep staging.
Partnering with hospital systems on clinical research serves a dual purpose — it generates proprietary health data and builds the medical credibility Samsung needs to compete with Apple, whose Apple Watch has accumulated a string of FDA clearances for cardiac monitoring features.
The wearable health market is large. IDC tracked global wearable device shipments at 554.9 million units in 2023, with smartwatches representing the fastest-growing segment.
Results from Samsung’s GLP-1 muscle loss study have not been scheduled for publication, and no peer-reviewed findings are available yet.
