0:03
Hello, my name is Manalani Day. I'm a fellow in rheumatology and internal medicine from London in the UK.
0:10
I'm delighted to be reporting for RheumNow from here in Orlando for ACR 2026.
0:15
So, could GLP-1s improve outcomes for people with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis beyond their effects on weight and glucose control?
0:24
There are many abstracts being reported here at Convergence on the use of GLP-1s in inflammatory arthritis, and this is just one of the many abstracts which caught my attention.
0:36
This is abstract 1924, and it examined hospital outcomes using the US inpatient sample from 2016 to 2023.
0:45
This analysis represented almost 23 million admissions involving osteoarthritis and 4.5 million with rheumatoid arthritis.
0:55
GLP-1 use was identified through coding and recorded in just over one in a thousand admissions.
1:00
In osteoarthritis, recorded GLP-1 use was associated with 30–31% lower odds of knee replacement after adjustment for demographics and comorbidities.
1:12
So that's a really important outcome for people with osteoarthritis.
1:16
The authors also reported lower in-hospital mortality and shorter stays.
1:21
For people with rheumatoid arthritis, in-hospital mortality was 0.34% with recorded GLP-1 use compared with 2.76% without it.
1:32
Hip and knee replacement in this population was also lower and hospital stays were shorter.
1:37
However, the adjusted rheumatoid arthritis estimates were not statistically significant.
1:42
So it's important to note that these are hospital admissions and not individual patients followed from starting their treatment.
1:50
Lower odds of surgery during admission do not show that a GLP-1 drug prevented or delayed a future joint replacement.
1:58
The key question is: can better treatment of obesity and metabolic disease improve longer-term outcomes for people with conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis?
2:11
For rheumatologists, we should be ensuring that obesity and diabetes are addressed alongside arthritis.
2:17
This includes discussing weight in a sensitive manner, helping patients access appropriate support, and coordinating care with other teams such as primary care teams and weight management services.
2:29
GLP-1 drugs should be considered for established indications.
2:32
Of course, in osteoarthritis, weight management should be discussed alongside treatment for pain and functional limitation and other patient-reported outcomes.
2:41
And in rheumatoid arthritis, obesity care should complement assessment of inflammation and appropriate DMARD treatment.
2:47
Ultimately, patients need a plan that addresses both their arthritis and their metabolic health as well as their other comorbidities.
2:55
If you'd like to know more about this abstract, it's abstract 1924.
2:58
And to find out more about everything going on here at the ACR 2026 Convergence, do be sure to follow along on RheumNow. Thank you.
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