Treating asthma with drugs akin to Ozempic, typically employed for diabetes management, could be possible, regardless of diabetes diagnosis.
In a groundbreaking development, recent research indicates that GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic and Victoza, could potentially offer relief for asthma patients, particularly those who are obese. However, the effects of these drugs in non-obese, non-diabetic individuals remain unclear.
Large-scale studies involving over 60,000 patients have shown compelling evidence that GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) can improve asthma control and reduce the need for steroids and other asthma medications, especially in those with obesity who often have steroid-resistant asthma. The benefits appear even with modest weight loss (around 0.9 kg per year), suggesting that GLP-1 drugs act on airway inflammation through mechanisms distinct from traditional steroids.
The drugs reduce inflammatory cells and factors involved in airway disease via multiple signaling pathways, potentially explaining the observed improvements. However, it is too early to say if GLP-1 RAs would be effective for asthma control in non-obese, non-diabetic individuals, as no conclusive studies have yet targeted this group.
The research, published recently in the journal Advances in Therapy, shows that GLP-1 drugs can improve asthma outcomes in obese patients, possibly via anti-inflammatory effects and modest weight loss. One study found that patients using GLP-1 drugs had fewer asthma attacks and symptoms, though the difference was not significant. They also shed an average of 7.7 pounds, while the control group lost an average of 2 pounds.
However, the extent of side effects like nausea or vomiting in the GLP-1 group is unclear. The study was conducted on over 10,000 obese, asthmatic patients taking GLP-1 drugs, and the results were compared to about 50,000 adults with similar medical histories but not taking GLP-1s.
Dr. Thomas Kilkenny suggests that the participants' better breathing is simply due to the weight loss. GLP-1 drugs cause weight loss by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone and decreasing appetite. Additionally, they may have anti-inflammatory effects, which could be beneficial for asthma since it is an inflammatory disease.
The study was conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the researchers attributed some of the missing data to disruptions in information collection during the pandemic. More research is needed to explore the effects and mechanisms of GLP-1 drugs in non-obese, non-diabetic populations.
While promising for obese asthma patients, GLP-1 drugs should not yet be considered established treatments for asthma relief in non-obese, non-diabetic individuals. Since the first GLP-1 drug was approved, researchers have suggested that these meds can also relieve knee osteoarthritis pain, calm skin conditions, lower the odds of heart troubles, and reduce dementia risk. However, further studies are required to confirm these potential benefits in the context of asthma management.
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- The use of GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic and Victoza, could potentially offer relief for chronic diseases like asthma, particularly in those who are obese, as indicated by large-scale studies and recent research.
- Improvements in asthma control are observable in obese patients who use GLP-1 drugs, as they often experience reduced inflammation and improved airway inflammation through mechanisms distinct from traditional steroids.
- Though the benefits of GLP-1 drugs have been observed in obese, asthmatic individuals, it remains unclear if these drugs would be effective for asthma control in non-obese, non-diabetic populations, as no conclusive studies have yet targeted this group.
- The benefits of GLP-1 drugs in the context of health and wellness extend beyond asthma management, as some research suggests they can potentially relieve knee osteoarthritis pain, calm skin conditions, lower the odds of heart troubles, and reduce dementia risk, but further studies are required to confirm these potential benefits.
