Background: Obesity in patients with IBD is increasing, accompanied by an increase in metabolic comorbidities. Although GLP-1 agonists have shown promise in weight reduction, their efficacy and safety in patients with IBD are underexplored. This study evaluated the impact of GLP-1-based therapies on weight loss and metabolic parameters in non-diabetic patients with IBD.
Methods: We conducted a single-center observational cohort study that included adult patients with IBD who were started on GLP-1-based therapy (semaglutide or tirzepatide) for weight loss from January 2021 to April 2024. The primary outcomes were changes in BMI and total body weight. Secondary outcomes included tolerability, safety, and changes in metabolic risk factors.
Results: The study included 36 patients with IBD, predominantly female (64%), with a median age of 45.5 years (IQR 41-51.5 years). The majority (67%) had Crohn's disease (CD) and on advanced therapy (86%). BMI significantly decreased from 34.0 (IQR 31.0-38.2) to 31.0 (IQR 29.0-36.1) with GLP-1-based therapy (p < 0.0001). Total body weight (TBW) significantly decreased by a median of 8.15 kg (IQR 15.9-2.2 kg; p < 0.0001). Although a decrease in total cholesterol and glycated hemoglobin was seen, this was not statistically significant (p = 0.0634 for total cholesterol, p = 0.0536 for glycated hemoglobin). No significant changes were observed in ALT or CRP levels. The most common side effects were nausea (31%) and constipation (25%).
Conclusions: Semaglutide and tirzepatide can effectively reduce BMI in non-diabetic patients with IBD with manageable side effects. However, further studies are required to explore the long-term safety of GLP-1 agonists in the IBD population.
Keywords: Crohn's disease; Elevated BMI; GLP-1; Inflammatory bowel disease; Obesity; Semaglutide; Tirzepatide; Ulcerative colitis; Weight loss.
© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.