Association between autoimmune diseases and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: A real-world evidence study

INTRODUCTION: The therapeutic advantages of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) in diabetes management have been demonstrated. However, their potential association with autoimmune diseases remains unknown. Using a comprehensive real-world dataset, this study compared GLP-1 RAs against dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4is) with respect to the incidence of autoimmune diseases. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study, with an active-comparator and new-user design, analyzed data from the TriNetX US Collaborative Network. We identified 4,841,560 patients aged over 18 years with type 2 diabetes from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2022. Finally, 412,021 and 383,415 patients were included in the GLP-1 RAs and DPP-4is groups, respectively. Propensity score matching was used to balance baseline characteristics, and hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated with Cox regression models over an eight-year follow-up. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, each group included 290,770 patients. The analysis revealed that patients receiving GLP-1 RAs exhibited significantly higher risks of certain autoimmune conditions, including ulcerative colitis (HR, 1.11; 95 % CI, 1.04-1.19), rheumatoid arthritis (HR, 1.08; 95 % CI, 1.03-1.12), autoimmune thyroiditis (HR, 1.30; 95 % CI, 1.24-1.38), ankylosing spondylitis (HR, 1.30; 95 % CI, 1.13-1.51), and psoriasis (HR, 1.17; 95 % CI, 1.12-1.22), compared to those on DPP-4is. Moreover, sensitivity analyses consistently revealed a significant link between GLP-1 RAs use and autoimmune diseases. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that compared with DPP-4is, the use of GLP-1 RAs is linked to increased risks of certain autoimmune diseases. Careful monitoring might be required among patients on GLP-1 RAs.