Lars Johansson, CSO at Antaros Medical, was part of an expert panel during ‘Optimizing Body Composition Changes in the Era of Incretin-Based Weight Loss Therapies: The New Frontier’, a breakfast symposium at the ADA 2026 Scientific Sessions.
Incretin-based therapies such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists have shown unprecedented weight loss effects, leading to an increasing need to look deeper at this weight loss using body composition assessments to answer questions about where the weight loss is coming from and what the metabolic effects are.
However, there are many different methods for assessing body composition that work using different technology and by measuring different compartments and components. The terminology and nomenclature for various body composition measures have also been used somewhat interchangeably, even though they really represent different things. This has led to an evidence base of body composition data from weight loss trials that can be difficult or confusing to interpret.
Lars joined an expert speaker panel featuring Donna Ryan, Carla Prado, Stefan Anker and Enrique Caballero. Each speaker addressed a different topic and offered a unique perspective on body composition during weight loss. The focus for Lars’ talk was the things that should be kept in mind when interpreting body composition data, and that body composition is one important part of a bigger overall picture.
After providing an overview of the most commonly used methods for measuring body composition (BIA, CT, DXA and MRI), Lars detailed the key differences between dual-energy absorptiometry (DXA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and why they cannot be compared. He also discussed the different kinds of muscle fat and how to look at them with MRI, before clarifying that muscle volumes and fat should be thought of as part of the story, and should be integrated with measures of muscle function and physical performance. He concluded by describing how, in addition to measurement methodology, patient population characteristics and trial duration can also impact body composition assessments, and should therefore be kept in mind when interpreting data.
This session was jointly hosted by The Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders (SCWD) and Partners for Advancing Clinical Education, and was supported by an independant educational grant from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.