COULD GLP-1 DRUGS HELP TREAT PSORIASIS? HERE’S WHAT THE SCIENCE SAYS

Fact checked by Nick Blackmer

• Early research suggests GLP-1 drugs may help reduce psoriasis symptoms, particularly in people with obesity or type 2 diabetes.
• Researchers are still determining whether the benefits come from weight loss, anti-inflammatory effects, or both.
• Experts say GLP-1s should be viewed as a possible addition to standard psoriasis treatments—not a replacement.

For people with psoriasis, clearing up those red, itchy patches of skin can be a constant battle. While there’s no cure for psoriasis, there are treatments to help manage symptoms—and researchers are exploring a potential new option: GLP-1 medications.

The popular weight-loss drugs have shown promise in reducing psoriasis severity, but experts caution that it’s too soon to replace established psoriasis treatments with GLP-1s.

Where the Science Stands

GLP-1 medications were initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, but over the years, they’ve been FDA-approved for several other conditions, such as sleep apnea and liver disease.

Experts began to wonder if GLP-1s might help treat psoriasis as well, because psoriasis and obesity are closely linked, said Rekha Kumar, MD, an endocrinologist and obesity medicine expert at Weill Cornell Medicine.

People with obesity are more likely to develop the skin condition, and excess weight can make psoriasis more resistant to treatment.

In April, a review from the National Psoriasis Foundation found that GLP-1s have been linked to reductions in psoriasis severity—ranging from 40% to 80%—particularly in patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes. However, they noted that the studies were small and short-term, and more research was needed.

Since then, a May study published in JAMA Dermatology examined the impact of a GLP-1 (tirzepatide) paired with a psoriasis drug (ixekizumab) in nearly 300 psoriasis patients who were also overweight or had obesity.

After 36 weeks, 40.6% of patients on both drugs had completely clear skin, compared with 29.0% of those on the psoriasis drug alone.

Overall, recent studies “suggest GLP-1 medications may improve psoriasis in some patients, especially those who also have obesity or type 2 diabetes,” said Swati Kannan, MD, a dermatologist at UC San Diego Health.

How Might GLP-1s Help With Psoriasis?

Researchers are still exploring how GLP-1s may help treat psoriasis, but Kumar said there are two leading theories.

The first is that losing weight calms the inflammation that fuels psoriasis, and GLP-1s help accelerate weight loss.

The second is that the drugs may directly quiet the immune pathways involved in psoriasis, independent of weight loss. If that’s true, GLP-1s could potentially benefit people with psoriasis even if they don’t have obesity.

But “researchers are still teasing apart how much credit each pathway deserves,” Kumar said.

What This Means For You

Experts said the research is encouraging, especially for psoriasis patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes. But the findings don’t mean that GLP-1s are a “cure” for psoriasis, Kumar said, and no studies have shown that GLP-1s benefit psoriasis patients without those conditions.

“Not every patient with psoriasis is likely to benefit,” Kannan said. “We still need more research to identify who responds best.”

In the meantime, experts said any psoriasis improvement from GLP-1s should be considered a potential added benefit of the drugs.

“The best move is to ask your doctor whether you have a medical reason to be on one of these drugs, and if so, whether your skin might benefit too,” Kannan said.

“But it should be viewed as a potential addition to established psoriasis treatments, rather than a replacement,” she added.

Current psoriasis medications remain the standard of care because they’ve been rigorously studied and proven to be effective, Kannan said.

GLP-1s also come with possible side effects, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation. Access is improving, but the drugs can still be expensive, especially if you have to pay out-of-pocket.

Experts recommend talking to your doctor to help determine if a GLP-1 may be a helpful addition to your psoriasis treatment. “Patients should discuss any questions with their dermatologist before making changes to their treatment plan,” Kannan said.

Read the original article on Health

2026-08-04T16:35:03Z