The Etiology of Reduced Muscle Mass with Surgical and Pharmacological Weight Loss and the Identification of Potential Countermeasures.

Obesity represents a major health crisis in the United States, significantly increasing risks for chronic diseases and generating substantial economic costs. While bariatric surgery and pharmacological interventions such as GLP-1 receptor agonists have been proven effective in achieving substantial weight loss and improving comorbid conditions, they also raise concerns about the unintended loss of fat-free mass, particularly muscle. This loss of muscle mass compromises physical functionality, quality of life, and long-term metabolic health, particularly in individuals with sarcopenic obesity or those at risk of frailty.

Beyond the role of participant: a firsthand account of the experiences of a patient-oriented research team.

Background: Immigrants often find accessing and navigating the healthcare system difficult upon arriving in Canada. Existing challenges of accessing healthcare due to differing cultural norms, language barriers, limited health literacy, and system complexity have been outlined extensively in literature; however, evidence-informed practices to mitigate these disparities have yet to be determined. Our research team took a patient-oriented research (POR) approach to learn more about the lived experiences of immigrants as they attempt to access and navigate the health system upon immigrating to Canada.