Semaglutide tracked with 40 per cent fewer asthma attacks and 20 per cent fewer COPD flare-ups
Chloe Bloom's team at Imperial College London tracked semaglutide in UK electronic medical records among people with asthma and COPD. Semaglutide went together with about 40 per cent lower asthma-attack rates and 20 per cent lower COPD flare-up rates. Results were presented at the European Respiratory Society congress in Barcelona. Bloom says the findings should not change treatment decisions on their own. The analysis covers people taking the drug mostly for type 2 diabetes.
Science··Midday
Semaglutide went together with fewer asthma and COPD attacks
A team led by Chloe Bloom at Imperial College London's National Heart and Lung Institute tracked semaglutide use in UK electronic medical records among people with asthma and COPD. Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, went together with about 40 per cent lower rates of asthma attacks and 20 per cent lower rates of COPD flare-ups. Bloom said the effect was strongest with semaglutide in people with asthma. The results were presented at the European Respiratory Society congress in Barcelona.[1], [2]
The analysis covers people taking the drug mostly for type 2 diabetes
The analysis covers people taking semaglutide for another reason, mostly type 2 diabetes, who also have asthma or COPD. In the UK records, Bloom's team ran four parallel analyses, each covering between 20,000 and 22,000 people. The finding cannot be generalised to those taking the drug for weight loss alone, and asthma and COPD outcomes have also not been included in the clinical trials of GLP-1 medicines. Independent specialists note that the observational design cannot establish causation.[1]
The congress presentation does not change treatment
Bloom says the findings are encouraging but should not change treatment decisions on their own. People with asthma or COPD should not start GLP-1 receptor agonists specifically for their lung condition outside current prescribing guidance. Bloom also adds that some people taking GLP-1 medicines may have fewer respiratory attacks, and that this needs confirmation in clinical trials.[1], [2]
