Popular Diabetes &โ Weight Lossโ Drugs โขLinked to Increased โRisk of Chronic Cough, Study Finds
Los Angeles, CA – Millions taking GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and wegovy for diabetes and weight loss mayโค face an unexpected side effect: a persistent,โค chronic cough. New โฃresearch โpublished late lastโข month in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery suggests a link between the drugs and a higher incidence of โขchronic โฃcough, promptingโ calls for โขfurther inquiry.
The study,โ conducted by researchers โat theโข University of Southern California and other institutions, โanalyzed the electronicโค health recordsโข of nearly a half million individuals taking GLP-1s for type 2 diabetes. Comparing this group to 1.6 millionโฃ peopel using โคother diabetes medications, researchers found GLP-1 users were 12%โ more likelyโ to develop โฃa new case of chronicโข cough.
Whileโข gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, and constipation are well-known side effects of GLP-1s – โand research has also indicatedโ a โฃpotential link to increased riskโ of gastroesophageal reflux โฃdisease (GERD) and acidโ reflux due toโ slowedโข stomach emptying – aโข direct association โฃwith chronic cough hadn’tโ been previously studied. Notably, theโ increased risk ofโค cough persisted even after researchers excludedโค individuals โคwith a prior โขGERD diagnosis.
“Further research is needed toโ confirm the existence, strength, and mechanisms of this association,” the researchers wrote in their published paper.
GLP-1 drugs, โincluding semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy), have โbecome increasingly prominent in recent years, especially for obesityโข treatment. The โฃworld Health Associationโข recently acknowledged the drugs as essential, calling for cheaper โขgeneric versions. However, experts emphasize the importance of ongoing safety monitoring as medications gain widespread use.
This observational study cannot definitively prove a cause-and-effectโข relationship, but researchers say the findings warrant deeper โinvestigation to understand โthe โขpotential connection โand help doctorsโค and patientsโ proactively manage orโ prevent the side effect.
