Highlights:
- Semaglutide was linked to nearly 40% fewer asthma attacks in a new real-world study.
- The drug was also associated with a 20% reduction in COPD flare-ups.
- Researchers analyzed UK health records of tens of thousands of people taking GLP-1 medicines.
- The strongest respiratory effect was seen with semaglutide.
- Researchers said clinical trials are needed before the findings can influence asthma treatment.
Semaglutide, the active ingredient in popular drugs including Ozempic and Wegovy, has been linked to a sharp reduction in asthma attacks, according to new research presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona.
Researchers from Imperial College London found that people with asthma who were taking semaglutide experienced nearly 40% fewer asthma attacks. The medication was also associated with a 20% reduction in COPD flare-ups, adding to growing interest in the potential effects of GLP-1 drugs beyond diabetes and weight management.
The study used real-world UK health records to examine people who had started GLP-1 receptor agonists. Researchers compared their respiratory outcomes with people taking sulfonylureas, another class of diabetes medicines.
The strongest results were associated with semaglutide. Researchers found that the effect was particularly pronounced among people with asthma, while higher doses were also associated with greater reductions in asthma and COPD exacerbations.
Professor Chloe Bloom of Imperial College London’s National Heart & Lung Institute, who led the research, said previous studies had suggested that GLP-1 medicines could have anti-inflammatory effects and improve lung-related outcomes. The new research was designed to investigate whether those medicines were associated with fewer acute respiratory attacks.
The findings add to earlier evidence connecting GLP-1 receptor agonists with respiratory outcomes. However, the researchers stressed that the latest study does not establish semaglutide as an asthma treatment.
The research is based on observational health records rather than a randomized clinical trial designed specifically to test semaglutide for asthma. That means the results show an association between semaglutide use and fewer attacks but do not establish that the drug directly caused the reduction.
Dr. Alexander Mathioudakis, chair of the European Respiratory Society’s group on airway pharmacology and treatment, described the research as one of the largest real-world studies examining GLP-1 receptor agonists and airway disease.
The findings could be important because asthma and obesity frequently overlap, while metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes can complicate respiratory health. Researchers are increasingly examining whether treatments that improve metabolic health could also affect inflammatory and respiratory conditions.
Still, patients with asthma should not start semaglutide specifically to prevent asthma attacks based on the findings. Existing asthma treatment should continue according to medical advice.
The research now raises a larger question for respiratory medicine: could GLP-1 drugs eventually have a role in treating people who have both metabolic disease and chronic respiratory conditions?
Clinical trials will be needed to answer that question. For now, the semaglutide findings provide a significant new association between a widely used diabetes and weight-loss medication and respiratory health, with the nearly 40% reduction in asthma attacks standing out as the most notable result.
