Among adults with both obesity and an autoimmune disease, those who take glucagon-like peptide receptor 1 agonist (GLP-1RA) drugs have lower rates of emergency department visits and are less likely to experience serious heart problems, including stroke, pulmonary embolism, and death, compared to similar adults who do not take these drugs, according to new research published today in the journal American. American Heart Association Journalan open-access peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association. This study was presented at the American Diabetes Association 2026 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans on Saturday, June 6, at 12:30 PM CT/1:30 PM CT (Abstract No. 2199-P).
GLP-1RA therapy is commonly prescribed for weight loss and blood sugar control in patients with type 2 diabetes. This new study examines the heart health benefits of GLP-1RA in people with obesity and at least one autoimmune disease to determine whether there are reductions in serious cardiac events or other positive cardiovascular benefits.
Obesity and autoimmune diseases are each associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular and thrombotic events. This is the first study to examine the effects of GLP-1RA on people with both obesity and other types of autoimmune diseases, including gastrointestinal diseases (such as celiac disease), skin (such as vitiligo), endocrine diseases (such as type 1 diabetes) or musculoskeletal diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis).
This is a high-risk population, and until now there has been limited data to guide treatment decisions. This real-world analysis found consistent signals of fewer serious complications such as blood clots and lower mortality in patients treated with GLP-1RAs. Our study expands the discussion on GLP-1RA. For clinicians, we hope that these findings will encourage a more thoughtful and individualized approach when considering these treatments in high-risk patients with both obesity and autoimmune disease. ”
Amy Sher, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine and Obesity Medicine Fellowship Program Director, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
“We are excited about drug combinations for these diseases, combining GLP-1RA with drugs that have known benefits for treating autoimmune diseases,” said Shea. “For people who are overweight or who have obesity and autoimmune diseases, this study provides a hopeful signal that drugs already in use today may be beneficial in reducing the risk of CVD.”
Researchers examined electronic health record data for more than 26,000 adults treated in the OneFlorida+ network from 2014 to 2024. Cardiac outcomes were analyzed comparing those taking GLP-1RA drugs to those not taking them.
What are the main findings of the study?
- People with obesity and autoimmune diseases who took GLP-1RA drugs had a 17% lower risk of blood clots forming in their veins (venous thromboembolism). The risk of a blood clot from a deep vein breaking away and traveling through the bloodstream to the lungs (pulmonary embolism) is reduced by 31%. 21% less likely to visit the emergency department. And the risk of death was reduced by 44%.
- This analysis found only a small reduction in stroke risk (13% relative risk reduction) and a nonsignificant trend in heart attack risk (14% relative risk reduction).
“The 44% reduction in all-cause mortality observed in patients with obesity and autoimmune diseases is a surprising finding that demands our attention,” said Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, MBA, FAHA, a member of the American Heart Association’s Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Council.
“As physician-scientists in obesity medicine who regularly care for patients with complex inflammatory conditions, this study confirms what many of us have suspected clinically: that the benefits of GLP-1 receptor agonists extend far beyond glycemic control and weight loss and have the potential to fundamentally alter disease trajectories for some of our highest-risk patients.”
Stanford, who was not involved in the study, is an obesity doctor, scientist, educator and policy maker at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.
What are the details, background, design, and limitations of the study?
- The analysis was a review using more than 10 years of electronic health data for 26,408 adults diagnosed with obesity and at least one autoimmune disease (13,204 adults taking GLP-1-based medications vs. 13,204 adults not taking any GLP-1-based medications).
- All participants were adults, with an average age of 55 years. Patients self-identified their demographic information. Approximately 73% were female and 53% were non-Hispanic white adults. The average BMI at the time of study entry was 37 kg/m2, which is considered obese.
- In this analysis, autoimmune diseases were grouped by the major organs involved in autoimmune diseases, such as skin diseases (vitiligo). Gastrointestinal diseases (inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease); endocrine diseases (type 1 diabetes, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism); musculoskeletal diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis). Systemic diseases (lupus, sarcoidosis); nervous system diseases (multiple sclerosis, encephalitis); blood diseases (immune thrombocytopenia); and cardiovascular diseases (endocarditis, myocarditis, or vasculitis).
- Data was reviewed from the OneFlorida+ network from 2014 to 2024. OneFlorida+ is comprised of 14 health care providers and includes records for 21 million adults treated in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.
Limitations of the study include the inability to prove causation because the analysis was a review of electronic medical records. Furthermore, autoimmune diseases are highly diverse, and this study primarily treated them as a broad group (secondary analyzes evaluated them separately into subgroups). Other factors, such as weight loss and improved blood sugar levels, may have contributed to the observed positive results. Further studies are needed to investigate and evaluate the role of GLP-1-based drugs as therapeutic and preventive therapies for obesity and autoimmune diseases.
sauce:
american heart association
Reference magazines:
Dai, H. others. (2026). Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists and cardiovascular events in adults with obesity and autoimmune disease: Targeted trial emulation. American Heart Association Journal. DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.125.047893. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/%2010.1161/JAHA.125.047893
