Researchers from Imperial College London reported at the ERS Congress that semaglutide — a GLP-1 receptor agonist used for obesity and type 2 diabetes — was associated with fewer asthma attacks in an analysis of roughly 20,000 UK patients. Across four observational studies comparing GLP-1 users with patients on sulfonylureas, semaglutide showed the strongest association, linked to nearly a 40% reduction in asthma attacks among people with asthma. Experts stress these are observational findings and call for randomised clinical trials with respiratory endpoints before changing clinical practice.
Common Weight-Loss Drug Semaglutide Linked to Fewer Asthma Attacks, Study Finds
Breathtaking findings: Semaglutide could be tied to nearly 40% fewer asthma attacks, according to medical-record studies. Christin Klose/dpa
Semaglutide — a GLP-1 receptor agonist widely prescribed for obesity and type 2 diabetes — may also be associated with fewer asthma attacks, Imperial College London researchers reported at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Barcelona.
The team examined about 20,000 UK electronic medical records in four parallel observational studies comparing people prescribed GLP-1 therapies (including semaglutide) with patients taking sulfonylureas, another class of diabetes medicines. They found that, overall, GLP-1 users appeared to experience fewer asthma and COPD flare-ups than similar patients on sulfonylureas. The strongest association was observed for semaglutide, which in people with asthma was linked to an almost 40% reduction in asthma attacks.
“People with airways diseases like asthma and COPD who were prescribed GLP-1 therapies appeared to have fewer asthma attacks and COPD flare-ups than similar people who were prescribed other diabetes medicines,” the researchers said.
Lead commentator Chloe Bloom, clinical associate professor in respiratory epidemiology at Imperial College London’s National Heart and Lung Institute, highlighted the magnitude of the association with semaglutide but cautioned that the results come from observational record-based analyses rather than randomised trials.
Alexander Mathioudakis, chair of the ERS airway treatment group at the University of Manchester, called for randomised clinical trials that include respiratory endpoints — for example, asthma attacks, COPD exacerbations, lung function, symptoms and quality of life — to confirm whether metabolic drugs could be incorporated into personalised airway-disease care.
What This Means
These findings are promising but preliminary. Observational studies can suggest associations but cannot prove cause and effect; they may be affected by unmeasured confounding (differences in patient health, healthcare access, or prescribing patterns). The researchers and outside experts therefore warn against using semaglutide or other GLP-1 drugs to treat asthma until randomised trials evaluate efficacy and safety for respiratory outcomes.
Safety Context
Semaglutide and other GLP-1 therapies are effective for weight loss and blood-sugar control, but they can have side effects, including reduced appetite, potential nutritional issues, and hair thinning in some users. Any consideration of these drugs for respiratory disease would require careful assessment of risks and benefits.
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