GLP-1 Evidence

Not medical advice. A record of published research and our assessments of it. The limits

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and tirzepatide are associated with reduced mortality, cardiovascular, and psychiatric risks in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa and type 2 diabetes and/or obesity: a retrospective cohort study

Design
Retrospective cohort · 8564 participants · Hard outcome
Match to healthy normal-weight adults aged 55–75
Different population[Auto] Participants had obesity/overweight (age/BMI not reported in abstract).
Could weight loss explain it?
Possibly[Auto] Participants had obesity and/or type 2 diabetes and the abstract does not separate direct drug effects from weight loss or glycaemic improvement.
Study tier
Study tier 3[Auto] Observational design; confounding by indication and healthy-user effects cannot be excluded (auto-provisional).
Assessment
Version 1 · automatic, not yet reviewed by a person · Sep 20, 2026

Study facts come from the paper. Population match, weight-loss explanation and study tier are our judgments, made against the reference group of healthy normal-weight adults aged 55–75.

[Auto, unreviewed; quoted from abstract conclusions] GLP-1RAs and tirzepatide are associated with reduced mortality, cardiovascular and psychiatric morbidity in HS patients with obesity or T2D, without increasing rheumatologic or inflammatory risk. These results extend the systemic benefits of GLP-1RAs and tirzepatide beyond metabolic control and suggest potential therapeutic value in HS.

01Findings

What the study reported

Drugs
Tirzepatide
Comparator
alternative metabolic medications
Primary outcome
Not extracted
Effect
Not extracted
95% confidence interval
Not extracted
Follow-up
18 years
Adverse events
Not extracted
Limitations
Auto-classified from abstract only; effect estimates, adverse events and limitations not extracted. Requires manual review.

Who was studied

Obesity status
obesity/overweight present (all or most)
Diabetes status
diabetes mentioned
Cvd status
cardiovascular disease present in population (see abstract)
Baseline condition
MASH / MASLD
Sample size
8564

Study quality details

Study design
Retrospective cohort
Sample size
8564
Randomization
no
Blinding
not stated
Comparator
not stated
Follow up duration
18 years
Outcome type
hard
Replication
not assessed (auto)
Consistency with other evidence
not assessed (auto)
Population applicability
INDIRECT
Statistical precision
CI reported: 95% confidence intervals (CIs
Risk of bias
not assessed (auto)
Funding conflicts
unclear
Peer review status
yes
02Funding

Funding and conflicts

Funding
not reported in abstract
Industry funded
Unclear
Manufacturer
Eli Lilly, Lilly, Sanofi, Boehringer Ingelheim, Amgen, Pfizer
Sponsor role
not reported in abstract
Author conflicts
RL received travel grants from TriNetX and research funding from Novartis and Sanofi. DT has received honoraria or fees for serving on advisory boards, as a speaker, and as a consultant for AbbVie, Amgen, Almirall, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Galderma, Hexal, Johnson & Johnson, LEO Pharma, Eli Lilly and Company, L'Oréal, New Bridge, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Takeda, Target RWE, UCB, and Vichy. The remaining authors declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The authors RL and DT declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.
Independent replication
unknown
Notes
Authors declare relationships with the drug's manufacturer: Eli Lilly

Funding is shown on every study and never used to score it.

04Source

The source, as retrieved

Abstract

[BACKGROUND] Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease strongly associated with obesity and diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2D). GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and tirzepatide are increasingly used for metabolic control, but their systemic effects in HS remain poorly characterized. [OBJECTIVES] To compare all-cause mortality, cardiovascular, rheumatologic, metabolic, psychiatric, and non-communicable inflammatory outcomes in HS patients with T2D or obesity treated with GLP-1RAs/tirzepatide vs. alternative metabolic medications. [METHODS] This retrospective cohort study used the US Collaborative Network in TriNetX. Adults (≥18 years) with HS and T2D or obesity were included, excluding prior bariatric surgery. Exposed patients received a GLP-1RA or tirzepatide for at least one year, controls received other systemic antidiabetic or anti-obesity agents. Outcomes over a 2-year follow-up were assessed using 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) for each outcome category. Outcomes included all-cause mortality, cardiovascular, rheumatologic, metabolic, psychiatric, and non-communicable inflammatory events. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and Cox regression was used to confirm significant findings. Sensitivity analyses and benchmark comparisons were performed. [RESULTS] Before matching, 8,564 patients received GLP-1RA/tirzepatide and 6,299 alternative therapies. After matching, GLP-1RA/tirzepatide use was associated with reduced all-cause mortality (HR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.145-0.395; p < 0.0001) and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (HR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.500-0.749; p < 0.0001). Risks of stroke and heart failure were also reduced (both p < 0.05). Psychiatric outcomes, including depression (HR: 0.78), suicidal ideation (HR: 0.38), and substance use disorder (HR: 0.58), were significantly reduced (all p < 0.05). Risks for rheumatologic and non-communicable chronic inflammatory outcomes were similar among groups. A modest increase in the risk of hyperlipidemia (HR: 1.25), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) (HR: 1.37), and nausea/vomiting (HR: 1.31) was observed in the GLP-1RA/tirzepatide group compared with alternative therapies (all p < 0.05). [CONCLUSION] GLP-1RAs and tirzepatide are associated with reduced mortality, cardiovascular and psychiatric morbidity in HS patients with obesity or T2D, without increasing rheumatologic or inflammatory risk. These results extend the systemic benefits of GLP-1RAs and tirzepatide beyond metabolic control and suggest potential therapeutic value in HS.

Where this record came from

SourceRetrievedIdentifier
pubmedSep 20, 202642741157
first ingestion
pubmedSep 20, 202642741157
duplicate matched on doi
pubmedSep 20, 202642741157
duplicate matched on doi
pubmedSep 20, 202642741157
duplicate matched on doi
pubmedSep 20, 202642741157
duplicate matched on doi
pubmedSep 20, 202642741157
duplicate matched on doi