The Role of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the common diseases of the respiratory system. As the disease recurs, damage to the airways and lung tissue gradually worsens, leading to a progressive decline in lung function, affecting the patient’s workforce and quality of life, and causing a huge social and economic burden. Diabetes is a common comorbidity of COPD and patients with COPD are at increased risk of developing diabetes, while hyperglycemia can also reduce lung function and contribute to the progression and poor prognosis of COPD. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) is a new type of hypoglycemic agent that has been shown to regulate blood glucose levels, reduce inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, and regulate lipid metabolism, among other effects. GLP-1RAs may benefit COPD patients by acting directly on the lung from mechanisms such as reducing the inflammatory response, improving oxidative stress, regulating protease/anti-protease imbalance, improving airway mucus homeostasis, and reducing airway remodeling. This study provides a review of the potential role of GLP-1RAs in COPD and offers new ideas for the prevention and treatment of COPD.

Keywords:

• glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• clinical application

Data Sharing Statement

There is no raw data associated with this review.

Disclosure

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81400288, 81573244), Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation (2022CFB453), Foundation of Health Commission of Hubei (WJ2021M061), the Natural Science Foundation of the Bureau of Science and Technology of Shiyan City (grant no. 21Y71), the Faculty Development Grants from Hubei University of Medicine (2018QDJZR04), and Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research (Hubei University of Medicine) (Grant No. WDCM2022007), and the Advantages discipline Group (Medicine) Project in Higher Education of Hubei Province (2021-2025) (Grant No. 2022XKQT4).