D2.137 - Association of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists with Asthma Incidence among Patients with Obesity

Glucagonlike peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have been increasingly administered for weight management adolescents with obesity. But studies investigating their effect on mitigating asthma development are scant. This study aimed to determine the association of GLP-1RA use with asthma incidence.

This retrospective cohort study using electronic health records derived from the TriNetX global collaborative network between December 2019 and June 2025.

Participants aged 12-18 years with a diagnosis of obesity and evidence of prescribing medication for obesity (e.g., GLP-1RAs, phentermine, phentermine-topiramate, naltrexone-bupropion, orlistat) were included. The main outcomes were asthma incidence. Propensity score matching was used to balance the baseline demographic characteristics between participants with GLP-1RA use and the other antiobesity medications. Risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence interval (CIs) were calculated to assess the association between GLP-1RA use and asthma incidence.

A total of 14,134 patients (4,904 boys, 34.70%; mean age ± standard deviation: 15.5 ± 1.9 years) were included in this study. The two group are well balanced after propensity score matching. Participants treated with GLP1Rs was associated with a 28% reduced risk for asthma incidence over 12 months of follow-up, compared to those prescribed the other antiobesity medications, specifically phentermine, phentermine-topiramate, naltrexone-bupropion, or orlistat (RR, 0.76; 95%CI, 0.62-0.93; P=0.008).

This cohort study provides supportive evidence that adolescents with obesity received GLP1RA treatment had a lower asthma incidence compared to those treated with the other antiobesity medications. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms related to the observed associations.