GLP1 agonist drugs, commonly known by brand names such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, reduce asthma symptoms in obese people according to a new study from the University of Aberdeen and The Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute (OPRI), Singapore.
This is the latest reported benefit of GLP1s, originally prescribed for diabetes management and now prescribed widely for obesity.
An international team of scientists led by University of Aberdeen Chair in Primary Care Respiratory Medicine, Professor David Price, analysed the medical records of more than 60,000 patients. Using the OPCRD database – a primary care patient database containing over 28 million patients, they compared measures of asthma severity between those who had been prescribed GLP1s and those who hadn’t over an entire year.
They found that as well as the expected weight loss in people who were taking GLP1s, the asthma measures such as steroid and medication prescriptions, were also reduced.
GLP1s, mimic the naturally occurring hormone GLP1 and help regulate blood sugar, insulin and control appetite. The drug is also known to reduce inflammatory cells through multiple signalling pathways, and it is this mechanism that may be instigating this beneficial effect on the airway disease.
The author suggests that their findings mean that GLP1s should be considered as a potential treatment for respiratory diseases.
Professor David Price explains: “People with obesity and asthma are unique in that they are often resistant to steroid treatments.
“We know that GLP1s work on inflammatory responses in the airways in a different way to traditionally used steroids.
“We found compelling evidence that GLP1s, as well as increasing weight loss, also improved asthma symptoms.
“In addition, it is important to note that the benefits to asthma symptoms occurred despite fairly modest weight loss of around 0.9kg over the course of the year.
“Our findings suggest that GLP1s may have beneficial effects on asthma control for people with obesity and this should be explored further.”
Professor Alan Kaplan, Chairperson of the Family Physician Airways Group of Canada and the Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, added: "Our findings suggest that GLP1-RAs have benefits on asthma control in people with obesity, and this information should contribute to the discussions around the decision to use these drugs."