Food & Fitness with Medicine (FFWM)

Food and Fitness with Medicine is a 24-week randomized clinical trial designed to promote cardiovascular health, maintain medication adherence, and prevent muscle loss in postmenopausal women who have recently started taking a GLP-1 receptor agonist medication.

The menopause transition marks a period of significant physiological change, where hormonal shifts often lead to a redistribution of body fat and a heightened risk for cardiovascular disease.  While the new class of GLP-1 medications (like Ozempic) has revolutionized how we manage weight and heart health, many people find it difficult to stay on these medications long-term. When the medication is stopped, weight often returns quickly, which can have adverse side effects on the body (such as muscle loss) and the brain (such as increased risk for stroke).

What We Are Studying:

• Can a structured exercise and nutrition program help women stay on their medications more consistently and successfully?

• How does improving heart health relate to better scores on memory and thinking tests?

• We are also looking at biologic markers—like the health of the gut microbiome and muscle mass retention—to see exactly how this intervention changes the body for the better.

Our Goal:

We want to empower women to move beyond "just a pill." By defining the best ways to combine medication with lifestyle habits, we hope to provide a blueprint for promoting cardiovascular health and preventing cognitive decline in the years to come.

Principal investigator: 

See this funding announcement for more details: