GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Use and Hidradenitis Suppurativa in Overweight Patients — Retrospective Findings from a Single Center
Have you read this article in the latest JDD issue? A recent IRB-exempt retrospective study from the University of Pennsylvania examined adults with hidradenitis suppurativa and overweight or obesity who used GLP-1 receptor agonists. The analysis focused on real-world clinical documentation of HS activity and looked at weight and metabolic measures alongside clinician-assessed outcomes.
Among 142 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 59.9 percent were documented as having improvement in HS after GLP-1RA use. Patients with documented improvement more often experienced larger reductions in BMI compared with those with no change or worsening. The study did not find clear associations between improvement and baseline BMI, baseline HbA1c, age at HS diagnosis, GLP-1RA duration, or smoking status in this cohort.
These findings suggest a possible link between GLP-1 receptor agonist use, weight reduction, metabolic state, and clinical course of HS. The retrospective design, absence of a comparator group, and potential confounding from concurrent therapies limit causal inference. Prospective, controlled studies are needed to clarify whether GLP-1RAs have a direct therapeutic role in HS or act primarily through effects on weight and metabolic inflammation.
Read the full JDD article for detailed methods and results and consider whether this evidence raises clinical questions worth exploring in your practice or research on hidradenitis suppurativa.
J Drugs Dermatol. 2026;25(2):178-180. doi:10.36849/JDD.9586
Blog write-up assisted by AI
