An analysis of electronic health records from over 26,000 adults with obesity and at least one autoimmune disease has shown that those taking GLP-1 medication experienced fewer cardiac events, were less likely to visit the ER, and had a lower risk of death. These findings were published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association and presented at the American Diabetes Association 2026 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans.
“This is a high-risk population, and historically we’ve had limited data to guide treatment decisions,” said Amy Sheer, MD, associate professor of medicine and director of the Obesity Medicine Fellowship program at the University of Florida. “In this real-world analysis, we found a consistent signal toward fewer serious complications including blood clots and lower mortality among patients treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists. For people who are overweight or living with obesity and an autoimmune disease, this study offers a hopeful signal that medications already in use today may be beneficial in reducing their risk of cardiovascular disease.”
GLP-1 receptor agonists are commonly prescribed drugs to help patients with type 2 diabetes lose weight and manage their blood sugar levels. This study is the first to examine the potential cardiovascular benefits of these drugs in a high-risk population of patients with both obesity and an autoimmune disease—both of which are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular and blood clot events.
Sheer and colleagues reviewed electronic health record data from 26,408 adults treated in the OneFlorida+ network from 2014 to 2024, covering 14 healthcare organizations across Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Half of the patients were taking GLP-1 drugs over this 10 year period, while the other half did not.
Across this population, GLP-1 treatment was found to reduce the risk of blood clots by 17%, of pulmonary embolism by 31%, and of death by 44%. Visits to the emergency department were also lowered by 21%, and a modest decrease in stroke risk of 13% was also found.
“The 44% reduction in all-cause mortality observed among patients with obesity and co-occurring autoimmune disease is a striking finding that demands our attention,” said Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, associate professor of medicine and pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the study. “As an obesity medicine physician scientist who regularly cares for patients with complex inflammatory conditions, this study reinforces what many of us have suspected clinically—that the benefits of GLP-1 receptor agonists extend well beyond blood sugar control and weight loss and may fundamentally alter the disease trajectory for some of our highest-risk patients.”
Although this study cannot prove a causal link between GLP-1 medication and the effects seen on the patients taking them, it opens the door to future combinations of treatments for autoimmune disease with GLP-1 drugs. More research is still needed to understand the role this medication could play as a potential preventive therapy for high-risk patients.
“Our research broadens the conversation around GLP-1 receptor agonists,” said Sheer. “For clinicians, we hope these findings may prompt a more thoughtful, individualized approach when considering these therapies in higher-risk patients who have both obesity and autoimmune disease.”
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