TOPLINE:
The use of GLP-1 receptor agonists was linked to lower pain and fatigue in patients with fibromyalgia, according to a large-scale health records analysis.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers used the TriNetX database to identify patients with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, with or without documented use of GLP-1s.
- Used propensity score matching to form two patient cohorts (GLP-1 users vs nonusers), each consisting of 38,439 patients.
- Assessed for documented opioid use and International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) codes for chronic pain, fatigue, and malaise.
- Followed patients for 5 years, starting 1 year after their fibromyalgia diagnosis and initiation of GLP-1 medication.
TAKEAWAY:
- Patients with fibromyalgia who were taking GLP-1s were less likely to use opioids than the comparison group (47.3% vs 59.9%).
- The GLP-1 group also had lower rates of reported fatigue, malaise, and pain.
- Ongoing fibromyalgia care (defined by the presence of the ICD-10 code for fibromyalgia) was lower in the GLP-1 group (39.1%) than in the nonuser group (55.7%).
- Additional research is needed using validated outcome measures like the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System.
IN PRACTICE:
“The way that I use it in my practice these days is that if I have a patient with chronic pain or with fibromyalgia who has comorbidities that already have an FDA approval for GLP-1 use, such as obesity, diabetes, or obstructive sleep apnea, I would encourage them to go to their primary care physician and maybe consider getting started on a GLP-1,” said presenter Nouran Eshak, MB ChB, of the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona.
SOURCE:
This abstract was presented at the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) 2025 Annual Meeting in Barcelona, Spain.
LIMITATIONS:
This study had a retrospective design and relied on ICD-10 coding. Validated fibromyalgia-specific symptom scales or outcome measures were not available. Researchers were unable to account for confounders such as duration of illness, symptom severity, GLP-1 dosage, or access to healthcare.
DISCLOSURES:
The study authors disclosed having no relevant financial relationships.
Source link : https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/glp-1s-may-ease-symptom-burden-patients-fibromyalgia-2025a1000i16?src=rss
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Publish date : 2025-07-08 09:29:00
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