The use of the new injectable medications originally developed for diabetes has expanded since we have learned about many of the beneficial effects they may have beyond the control of blood sugar. Heart benefits, weight control, and reductions in inflammation are just a few of the benefits which have been found.
Obesity in adolescents is as much of a problem as it is in adults. Adolescents who have asthma and obesity have more problems in controlling their symptoms and exacerbations than their normal weight counterparts. Recently, it has been found that adolescent patients who are obese and have asthma and being treated with a GLP-1RA have less exacerbations. Like many observations, the reason for this benefit for these adolescent patients is unclear.
Weight loss has been shown to help reduce the incidence of asthma exacerbations in obese adolescents, but the weight loss benefit associated with GLP-1RAs may not be the only reason these patients have less problems with their asthma. GLP-1RAs have been shown to influence inflammation. We should all know by now that inflammation in the airways is part of the basic pathology of asthma. How these drugs may accomplish this effect in the obese adolescent patient is, of course, unclear.
Does this mean that all obese adolescent asthma patients should be treated with GLP-1RAs, of course not. However, it may be that if continued observations and research show significant benefit when using these drugs, parents may find physicians offering this type of therapy to their children.
