Reduction in exacerbation risk seen in patients with overweight, obesity, morbid obesity and without diabetes<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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FRIDAY, March 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist treatment is associated with reduced asthma exacerbation risk among individuals with overweight or obesity, without diabetes, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, held from Feb. 27 to March 2 in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n
Ruchi Patel, M.D., from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, and colleagues used data from the global collaborative network in TriNetX to compare asthma exacerbation rates during a three-year period between those initiating a GLP-1 receptor agonist and matched controls without GLP-1 receptor agonist exposure.<\/p>\n
The overweight, obese, and morbidly obese cohorts included 710 patients, 1,515 patients, and 1,249 patients, respectively, after propensity score matching. The researchers found that GLP-1 initiation was associated with a reduced risk for asthma exacerbations in the overweight group, with a risk ratio of 0.748 and a risk difference of 14.6 percent. GLP-1 receptor agonist initiation was associated with a reduced risk for exacerbation in the obese group, with a risk ratio of 0.790 and a risk difference of 12.2 percent. GLP-1 receptor agonist initiation was associated with a reduced risk for exacerbation in the morbidly obese group, with a risk ratio of 0.780 and risk difference of 13.3 percent.<\/p>\n
“Asthma exacerbations can be disruptive for patients, especially those living with obesity, who often have fewer effective treatment options,” Patel said in a statement. “Our findings suggest that GLP-1 receptor agonists may be associated with fewer asthma exacerbations in nondiabetic patients, pointing to a promising new direction that could ultimately improve day-to-day asthma control and quality of life.”<\/p>\n