Can popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs ease chronic respiratory illnesses? Researchers presenting data at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona, Spain, revealed that semaglutide is linked to nearly a 40 percent reduction in asthma attacks and a 20 percent drop in COPD flare-ups.
Medical researchers meeting in Spain have uncovered an unexpected respiratory connection in patients managing metabolic conditions. The findings throw open a new window into how modern treatments for obesity and type 2 diabetes might influence chronic inflammatory diseases far beyond blood sugar and body weight.
Semaglutide – marketed worldwide as Ozempic and Wegovy – and widely used to treat type 2 diabetes and in weight loss has been shown to reduce asthma attacks by up to 40 per cent, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The study was presented by Dr Bohee Lee.
Diabetes, weight-loss drug semaglutide linked to fewer asthma exacerbations
Real-World Health Records Reveal Lower Respiratory Attack Rates
Led by Professor Chloe Bloom, clinical associate professor in respiratory epidemiology at the UK’s National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, UK, a research team examined electronic medical records across the United Kingdom. Rather than relying on small clinical trials, the investigators designed four parallel studies, each of which looked at between 20,000 and 22,000 people who had started taking either a GLP-1 treatment or a different class of diabetes medication called sulfonylureas.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are widely used to treat T2DM and obesity. Previous research suggests that they may have anti-inflammatory effects and may improve lung-related outcomes. However, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) outcomes have not been included as outcomes in GLP-1 drug trials, Professor Bloom
The comparative analysis highlighted a distinct clinical divergence between the treatment groups. The team found that people with airways diseases such as asthma and COPD who had been prescribed GLP-1 therapies appeared to have fewer asthma attacks and COPD flare-ups than similar people who had been prescribed other diabetes medicines.
“We wanted to use real-world health records to investigate whether people with asthma or COPD who started GLP-1 receptor agonists had fewer acute respiratory attacks.”
Professor Chloe Bloom, Clinical Associate Professor in Respiratory Epidemiology, National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, UK
GLP-1 treatment linked to 40% fewer asthma attacks
Semaglutide Outpaces Other Metabolic Therapies in Respiratory Benefit
While the class of medications as a whole showed positive signals, the data pointed to a clear standout among individual drugs. Marketed worldwide as Ozempic and Wegovy, semaglutide delivered the most pronounced protective association against lung flare-ups.
The effect was strongest with semaglutide, especially in people with asthma, where use of semaglutide appears to be associated with nearly 40 per cent reduction in asthma attacks. Semaglutide also led to a 20 per cent reduction in COPD flare ups, Professor Bloom
Semaglutide for weight loss
She believes that for people with airways disease who are already eligible for GLP-1 receptor agonists because of obesity or T2DM, the results suggest these treatments may offer additional respiratory benefits.
Clinical Trials and Prescribing Boundaries Moving Forward
Despite the encouraging numbers, independent medical experts urge caution against premature changes to prescribing habits. Dr Alexander Mathioudakis, Chair of the European Respiratory Society’s Group on Airway Pharmacology and Treatment and Senior Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine at the University of Manchester, UK, who was not involved in the research, noted context regarding metabolic health and airways disease.
“Obesity and metabolic dysfunction are common in airways disease and are often under-recognised as problems that can and should be addressed.”
Dr Alexander Mathioudakis, Chair of the European Respiratory Society’s Group on Airway Pharmacology and Treatment and Senior Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine at the University of Manchester, UK
People with asthma or COPD should not start GLP-1 receptor agonists specifically for their lung condition outside current prescribing guidance. While the findings suggest that some people taking GLP-1 receptor agonists may experience fewer respiratory attacks, this needs confirmation in clinical trials.
