If you're one of the more than 86% of people with Type 2 diabetes who are overweight or obese, there's a good chance you're also dealing with joint pain in your knees.

That's because obesity is a major cause of osteoarthritis, and not just because excess weight stresses joints; it's also a major cause of joint-damaging inflammation. As a result, people with Type 2 diabetes are nearly twice as likely to have severe osteoarthritis requiring joint replacement as those without Type 2 diabetes.

And it isn't just a problem for older people. More than half of people ages 18 to 64 with Type 2 diabetes have arthritis — while only 27% of those without the disease do.

Unfortunately, if that's you and you need a total knee replacement, the risk of serious post-op complications such as sepsis, surgical site infections, and heart failure is also higher.

But there's good news.

A new study found that taking semaglutide (Ozempic) for two to three months before you have knee replacement cuts the chance that you will have complications afterward.

In this study, risk of severe complications fell by 55% to 72%, and minor complications were also dramatically reduced by taking the medication.

Those benefits may come from a combination of weight loss reducing pressure on the knee joint and reduction in body-wide inflammation.