Background/Purpose: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that results in immune dysfunction and swelling of major joints, leading to discomfort, pain, stiffness, and loss of function1. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 agonist increasing in popularity for its metabolic benefits and ability to reduce inflammation and swelling2. However, the potential benefit of semaglutide use for RA flare-ups has not yet been investigated.. The objective of this study was to quantify this relationship by assessing the risk of RA flare-ups in patients prescribed semaglutide.

Methods: The TriNetX Database was queried to identify patients ≥ 18 years old with RA. These individuals were then divided into two subgroups: those prescribed semaglutide (n=12,139) and those who were not (n=292,558). These groups were 1:1 propensity score matched (n=12,125) for age, sex, ethnicity, BMI, diabetes mellitus, nicotine dependence, and mood disorders. Primary outcomes included 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year risk of synovitis, stiffness of joints, swelling of joints, and pain in joints within one year of semaglutide prescription. Risk Ratios (RR) were calculated between each cohort, and statistical significance was set to p < 0.05.

Results: RA Patients prescribed semaglutide had a significantly lower 30-day risk of stiffness of joints (RR=0.635, p=0.023), pain in joints (RR=0.605, p < 0.001), and swelling of joints (RR=0.588, p < 0.001),a significantly lower 90-day risk of synovitis (RR=0.729, p=0.001), stiffness of joints (RR=0.716, p=0.019), pain in joints (RR=0.728, p < 0.001), and swelling of joints (RR=0.704, p < 0.001), and a significantly lower 1-year risk of synovitis (RR=0.806, p < 0.001), stiffness of joints (RR=0.800, p=0.019), pain in joint (RR=0.884, p=0.004), and swelling of joints (RR=0.769, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: RA patients with a semaglutide prescription had lower risks of RA flare-ups such as synovitis, stiffness, swelling, and pain of joints compared to those without. This may be attributed to semaglutide’s mechanism of action, which has been shown to modulate the immune system and reduce inflammatory cytokine levels. Future studies should be conducted to further investigate the efficacy of semaglutide as a potential agent against RA.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/association-of-semaglutide-prescription-with-improved-joint-outcomes-in-rheumatoid-arthritis-patients/