Scientists discover unexpected link between Ozempic and users' lung health
Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are best known for helping people lose weight, after the side effect in what was originally type 2 diabetes medication was uncovered.
However, since GLP-1 treatment has taken the weight loss industry by storm in recent years, scientists have now discovered a surprising link between the drug and lung health.
This comes after a UK study found that people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who started taking GLP-1 drugs experienced fewer flare-ups than people taking another type of diabetes medication.
Professor Chloe Bloom, who is led the study and is also the Clinical Associate Professor in Respiratory Epidemiology at the National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, UK, explained in a statement: “GLP-1 receptor agonists are widely used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. Previous research suggests that they may have anti-inflammatory effects and may improve lung-related outcomes. However, asthma and COPD outcomes have not been included as outcomes in GLP-1 drug trials.
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“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.”
Study says people on GLP-1 could be less likely to have asthma attacks
The team of researchers examined real-world medical records from people in the UK who had airway diseases and were prescribed GLP-1 receptor agonists.
These were then compared with people taking sulfonylureas, which is a different group of drugs commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes.
Across four groups of roughly 20,000 patients, the researchers found a notable difference in respiratory flare-ups between the two groups, with the strongest results being seen among people taking semaglutide, which is the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy.
Dr Bloom continued: “The effect was strongest with semaglutide especially in people with asthma, where use of semaglutide appears to be associated with nearly 40% reduction in asthma attacks. Semaglutide also led to a 20% reduction in COPD flare ups.”
However, it’s important to note that the research doesn’t actually prove that semaglutide is directly responsible for preventing asthma attacks.
This is because the researchers looked back at existing health records rather than running a controlled clinical trial where people were randomly assigned to take the medication.
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, added: “We need clinical trials that include respiratory outcomes, such as asthma attacks, COPD exacerbations, lung function, symptoms and quality of life, to determine whether metabolic treatments could become part of a broader, more personalised approach to managing airways disease.”