Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who achieve greater weight loss after initiating glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), experience clinically meaningful improvements in patient-reported outcomes, according to study findings presented at ACR Convergence 2026, held November 6 to 11in Orlando, Florida.
Patients initiating new DMARDs during follow-up were excluded to avoid confounding.
Among 16,848 patients initiating GLP-1 RA therapy, 67.3% had rheumatoid arthritis, 80.2% were women, and the mean age was 57.9±11.1 years.
The researchers tracked a subcohort of 1880 patients who had complete checkups both before starting GLP-1 RAs and 1 year later.
Results of multivariate linear regression models also revealed that for every 5% decrease in total body weight, RAPID3 scores also decreased by 0.30 points.
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who achieve greater weight loss after initiating glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), experience clinically meaningful improvements in patient-reported outcomes, according to study findings presented at ACR Convergence 2026, held November 6 to 11in Orlando, Florida.
To evaluate the relationship between weight reduction and patient-reported outcomes in patients with RA or PsA, researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the ACR Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) registry between January 2018 and September 2024. Eligible adult patients had at least 1 disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) prescription prior to initiating semaglutide or tirzepatide. Patients initiating new DMARDs during follow-up were excluded to avoid confounding.
Among 16,848 patients initiating GLP-1 RA therapy, 67.3% had rheumatoid arthritis, 80.2% were women, and the mean age was 57.9±11.1 years. The researchers tracked a subcohort of 1880 patients who had complete checkups both before starting GLP-1 RAs and 1 year later. Over that year, participants lost an average of 15.6 pounds. Along with the weight loss, their scores on the Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3) — a standard clinic survey that tracks joint pain, physical function, and overall well-being — dropped by an average of 1.3 points.
Among patients with RA or PsA initiating GLP-1 RAs, greater weight loss was associated with clinically meaningful improvements in RAPID3 composite and component scores, with the strongest associations observed for pain and patient global assessment domains.
Results of multivariate linear regression models also revealed that for every 5% decrease in total body weight, RAPID3 scores also decreased by 0.30 points. Additionally, each 5% weight loss raised the likelihood of achieving a minimal clinically important difference in RAPID3 by 14% (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.14).
“Among patients with RA or PsA initiating GLP-1 RAs, greater weight loss was associated with clinically meaningful improvements in RAPID3 composite and component scores, with the strongest associations observed for pain and [patient global assessment] domains,” the authors concluded.
“Associations were generally consistent across RA and PsA, supporting weight reduction as a potentially modifiable factor associated with improved [patient reported outcomes] for these conditions.”
Some study authors declared affiliations with biotech, pharmaceutical, and/or device companies. Please see the original reference for a full list of authors’ disclosures.
