Potential therapeutic use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) in patients with psoriasis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2026.78.76562Keywords
psoriasis, glucagon-like peptide-1, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, liraglutide, semaglutide, obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndromeAbstract
Introduction and purpose
Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory disease affecting around 125 million people worldwide. While it typically affects the skin, psoriasis is characterized by alteration of adaptive and innate immunity with consequences that extend to other organ systems. Metabolic syndrome, and most notably obesity and type 2 diabetes, are known to have higher prevalence in patients with psoriasis compared to the general population. Recent interest has centered on glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, which offer potential therapeutic benefits by targeting both metabolic pathways and systemic immune dysregulation in psoriasis. This study gathers and synthesizes preclinical and clinical evidence to evaluate the overall efficacy of GLP-1RAs in the management of psoriasis.
Materials and methods
To write this review a search of databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar was conducted using the following terms: psoriasis; glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1); glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists (GLP-1RAs); liraglutide, semaglutide; obesity, type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome.
Results
In clinical and epidemiological evaluations, GLP-1 receptor agonists demonstrated significant dermatologic efficacy in psoriasis patients with concurrent type 2 diabetes mellitus or obesity, achieving marked reductions in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores, and pro-inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6, CRP), alongside reduced long-term cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.
Conclusions
GLP-1 receptor agonists offer substantial therapeutic value as targeted, dual-action adjuncts for psoriasis patients with concurrent type 2 diabetes mellitus or obesity by effectively mitigating cutaneous severity, systemic inflammation, and cardiometabolic mortality. However, additional high-value randomized-controlled trials are needed to establish their effectiveness in the treatment of non-obese and non-diabetic psoriasis patients.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Zuzanna Zapart, Dominika Janik, Agata Sochocka, Alicja Sikorska, Emil Mian, Martyna Szepietowska, Nina Nowicka, Jakub Bundyra, Oliwia Zuzanna Gańska, Julia Parda
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