GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs Reduce Asthma Symptoms
GLP-1 drugs could provide a new treatment option for obesity-related respiratory diseases.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, such as Ozempic™ (semaglutide), can reduce asthma symptoms in obese people. That’s according to a new study comparing medical records from over 60,000 patients with obesity.
The findings, published in Advances in Therapy, add to growing evidence of the additional benefits of GLP-1 drugs beyond weight loss, which include a link to reduced dementia risk and a reduction in heart attacks among people with type 2 diabetes.
GLP-1s improve multiple measures of asthma
To quantify the impact of GLP-1 drugs on markers of asthma control, the researchers analyzed medical records from the Optimum Patient Care Research Database (OPCRD) – a primary care patient database containing over 28 million patients.
From this database, the team compared measures of asthma severity between 10,111 GLP-1 drug-exposed people and 50,555 unexposed controls. Those in the drug-exposed group were all over the age of 18 years at the time of the first GLP-1 drug prescription, had an asthma consultation in the 12 months preceding the prescription and had a body mass index of greater than 30 kg/m2. The unexposed controls had matched features but had never been prescribed a GLP-1 drug.
Using this study methodology, the researchers were able to quantify the real-world, wider benefits of weight reduction treatments. Participants in the GLP-1 group showed both increased weight loss and improved markers of asthma control. Measures of asthma control included prescriptions for oral corticosteroids, recorded exacerbations and hospital admissions.
The role of GLP-1 drugs in asthma control
GLP-1 receptor agonists are a class of drugs traditionally used to treat type 2 diabetes and, more recently, obesity. They mimic the action of endogenous GLP-1, activating the receptor thereby enhancing insulin secretion, inhibiting glucagon release and delaying gastric emptying. This results in reduced food intake through appetite suppression.
In addition to improving diabetes-related symptoms, GLP-1 drugs also reduce inflammatory cells and factors through multiple signaling pathways, increase the expression of anti-inflammatory factors and alleviate inflammatory responses. This may have a beneficial effect on airways disease and explain the improvements in symptoms observed for asthma patients.
“We found compelling evidence that GLP-1s, as well as increasing weight loss, also improved asthma symptoms,” Professor David Price, chair of primary care respiratory medicine at the University of Aberdeen, said in a press release. “In addition, it is important to note that the benefits to asthma symptoms occurred despite fairly modest weight loss of around 0.9 kg over the course of the year.”
Obesity is known to be a risk factor for incident asthma; however, this association is poorly understood. “[There is] difficulty in achieving weight loss in patients with obesity and asthma, which is often made worse by the need for oral steroids to treat flare ups of asthma,” Professor Alan Kaplan, chairperson of the Family Physician Airways Group of Canada and the Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, told Technology Networks.
In addition, people with obesity have been shown to have a reduced response to standard asthma medications, such as inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). “Obese patients have some degree, mechanistically, of resistance to ICS efficacy, leading to more difficulty getting control and [a] need to consider different agents,” said Kaplan.
GLP-1 drugs represent a promising alternative to existing steroid treatments, and the researchers conclude that going forward, this information should contribute to discussions around the decision to use these drugs.
“Weight loss improves asthma management. It improves control, reduces exacerbations and often allows reduction in asthma medications. It needs to be a goal in [the] management of obese asthmatic patients. Bariatric surgery has proven effective for such. The data in this study show similarly that use of a GLP-1RA can also have efficacy,” concluded Kaplan.
Reference: Kaplan A, Heatley H, Townend J, et al. The real-world impact of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists on asthma control in people with high-risk asthma and obesity. Adv Ther. 2025;42(6):2950-2956. doi: 10.1007/s12325-025-03175-x
Professor Alan Kaplan is a practicing family physician and chairperson of the Family Physician Airways Group of Canada and an honorary professor of primary care respiratory medicine at the Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute. Kaplan has authored over 150 peer-reviewed articles and over 100 conference abstracts.
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