GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Linked to Lower Mortality, Cardiovascular Risk in Patients With Psoriasis
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) treatment was associated with lower all-cause mortality and reduced cardiovascular and psychiatric comorbidity risks among patients with psoriasis and obesity or diabetes, according to a retrospective population-based cohort study.
Researchers used real-world data from the US TriNetX database to compare patients with psoriasis who received GLP-1RAs with those treated with other systemic antidiabetic or antiobesity medications over 2 years. Following 1:1 propensity score matching for relevant risk factors, each cohort included 3048 patients.
Patients receiving GLP-1RAs had a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality compared with those receiving other therapies (hazard ratio [HR], 0.219; 95% CI, 0.123-0.391; P < .001). GLP-1RA treatment was also associated with a reduced risk of major adverse cardiac events (HR, 0.561; 95% CI, 0.442-0.714; P < .001).
Psychiatric outcomes also differed between groups. GLP-1RA treatment was associated with lower risks of alcohol abuse (HR, 0.346; 95% CI, 0.174-0.685; P = .009) and substance abuse (HR, 0.510; 95% CI, 0.350-0.743; P = .002).
“Typical adverse drug events were not more frequent in the GLP-1RA cohort,” the researchers reported. Findings remained consistent across sensitivity analyses that assessed later follow-up periods and excluded patients with pustular psoriasis.
The investigators also compared outcomes with cohorts of patients with obesity or diabetes who did not have psoriasis. Risk reductions associated with GLP-1RAs were more pronounced among patients with psoriasis.
“GLP-1RA treatment was safe and associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular and psychiatric comorbidities, as well as lower mortality in patients with psoriasis, with risk reductions markedly higher than in cohorts without psoriasis,” the authors concluded.
Reference
Olbrich H, Kridin K, Zirpel H, et al. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and reduced mortality, cardiovascular and psychiatric risks in patients with psoriasis: a large-scale cohort study. Br J Dermatol. 2026;194(1):59-66. doi:10.1093/bjd/ljaf346
