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TOPLINE:

Treatment with glucagon like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) medications was associated with a lower risk of being diagnosed with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) or psoriasis, in a study of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers assessed 74,910 patients (mean age, 65 years; 56% women; 45% White and 23% Black individuals) with T2D from the All of Us Database between May 2018 and October 2023.
• Of all patients, 19.5% received GLP-1 RAs.
• The primary outcomes of the study were risks for HS and psoriasis, adjusted for effects on control of diabetes and weight loss.

TAKEAWAY:

• Overall, 1601 patients had psoriasis (mean age, 68 years; 56.4% women; 62.4% White and 12.2% Black individuals), and 601 had HS (mean age, 55 years; 77.2% women; 32.9% White and 41.3% Black individuals).
• Patients treated with GLP-1 RAs showed a significantly lower risk for a future diagnosis of HS (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.61; P < .001) than those who were not treated with GLP-1 RAs.
• GLP-1 RA treatment was also associated with a significant reduction in the risk for a future diagnosis of psoriasis (adjusted OR, 0.41; P < .001).
• The average time from T2D diagnosis to a diagnosis of HS was 3.98 years, and it was 3.44 years to a diagnosis of psoriasis.

IN PRACTICE:

“These findings support a protective effect against HS and psoriasis in patients with T2DM taking GLP-1 RAs independent of weight loss, smoking status, or glycemic control,” the study authors wrote. Based on these findings, they added, “future research should focus on prospective studies exploring the use of GLP-1 RAs as therapeutic tools to treat HS or psoriasis, prevent disease progression, and evaluate their effect in patients without diabetes.”

SOURCE:

The study was led by Lauren M. Ching, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, and was published online on July 23, 2025, in JAAD International.

LIMITATIONS:

Limitations included variance in data harmonization across sites, lack of disease severity information, and selection bias.

DISCLOSURES:

The study did not receive any funding. One author reported receiving financial aids as an investigator, consultant, and speaker from AbbVie, BMS, Eli Lilly, and various other drug companies. All other authors declared having no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.