GLP-1s Linked to Reduced Asthma Exacerbations, With Ruchi Patel, MD

Initiation of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists was associated with a significantly lower risk of asthma exacerbations in non-diabetic patients with overweight and obesity, according to research presented at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) in Philadelphia from February 27 – March 2.1

During the conference, HCPLive spoke with Ruchi Patel, MD, from Rutgers NJMS, on the clinical implications of these findings, including the magnitude of asthma exacerbation reduction clinicians might expect when initiating GLP-1 therapy and whether asthma specialists should take a more proactive role in discussing GLP-1 receptor agonists with primary care physicians.

“I think a lot of the primary care providers and obesity specialists [are] pretty aware of the GLP-1s already, but definitely, if the patient comes to a specialist, and it hasn't been brought up yet, it's a really good thing to bring up,” Patel said.

The study included non-diabetic patients with asthma categorized as overweight (BMI 25.00–29.99 kg/m²), obese (BMI 30.00–40.00 kg/m²), or morbidly obese (BMI ≥40.00 kg/m²). After propensity score matching, the overweight cohort included 710 patients, the obese cohort 1,515 patients, and the morbidly obese cohort 1,249 patients.1

In an analysis using the TriNetX global research network, Patel and colleagues observed absolute risk reductions ranging from 12.2% to 14.6% over a 3-year follow-up period among patients who initiated a GLP-1 receptor agonist compared with matched controls without GLP-1 exposure.¹

“To translate it into more of a real world number, that's 12 to 15 less exacerbations per 100 patients that are treated with the GLP-1,” Patel said.

GLP-1 initiation in the overweight group was associated with a risk ratio (RR) of 0.748 and an absolute risk reduction of 14.6%. In the obese group, the RR was 0.790 with a 12.2% absolute risk reduction, while in the morbidly obese group, the RR was 0.780 with a 13.3% absolute risk reduction.¹

Obesity is a well-established modifier of asthma severity and control, with patients often experiencing increased symptom burden and exacerbation risk. Weight loss interventions, including bariatric surgery, have previously been associated with improvements in asthma outcomes.2 However, GLP-1 receptor agonists have not been incorporated into asthma management strategies, and their potential respiratory effects remain under investigation.

In discussing the mechanism behind the observed association, Patel cautioned that the reduction in exacerbations likely reflects more than one pathway. “It’s probably a bit of both,” she said, referring to weight loss and potential anti-inflammatory effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists. “The reason why I think it's not just weight loss and it's also the anti-inflammatory effects of the GLP-1 is because even in our overweight category, where I would have expected a more modest weight loss, their results stayed pretty consistent compared to the other BMI category. That makes me think it's not just weight loss, but also the anti-inflammatory effects of the GLP-1.”

References

1. Patel R, et al. GLP-1 receptor agonists associated with reduced asthma exacerbation in patients without diabetes. Presented at American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting; February 27–March 2, 2026 in Philadelphia, PA. Published in online supplement of J Allergy Clin Immunol. https://www.aaaai.org/about/news/news/2026/glp1

2. Mawlichanów M, Tatara P, Kwiatkowski A, Różańska-Walędziak A, Walędziak M. Bariatric Surgery in Asthma: A Narrative Review. Medicina (Kaunas). 2024;60(5):806. Published 2024 May 14. doi:10.3390/medicina60050806