Can GLP-1s Help Psoriasis? Here's What We Know So Far
- Jennifer Hardy
- Jun 2
- 2 min read
GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Zepbound are best known for helping with blood sugar and weight, but researchers are starting to explore something else: their potential to reduce inflammation in chronic conditions like psoriasis.
This isn’t hype. It’s based on real mechanisms that affect inflammation and immune response, two things that are central to how psoriasis works. It's just a growing list of indications that the Peptide Revolution could impact.
What’s the Connection Between GLP-1s and Psoriasis?
Psoriasis happens when your immune system goes into overdrive, sending out inflammatory chemicals that make skin cells multiply too fast. Those chemicals include things like IL-17, IL-23, and TNF-alpha.
GLP-1 receptor agonists seem to reduce those same pro-inflammatory signals. In small studies and case reports, patients saw fewer or less severe plaques after starting one of these medications.
Other inflammatory benefits are being found through investigating the gut-joint axis, especially in arthritis.
How Obesity Plays a Role in Psoriasis
People with obesity are more likely to develop psoriasis. When there’s more fat tissue, there’s more systemic inflammation. Add in insulin resistance and other features of metabolic syndrome, and the risk rises even higher.
GLP-1s help reduce that metabolic burden. They improve blood sugar control, decrease visceral fat, and lower inflammatory markers throughout the body. For some patients, clearing up the skin may just be a welcome bonus to improving their overall health.
The GLP-1 Benefit for Psoriasis
One of the more surprising findings is how quickly some patients see changes. In case reports, people have reported improvements in their Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) before losing much weight or hitting normal glucose levels.
That suggests GLP-1s might be doing more than cleaning up metabolic messes—they might also be directly quieting down skin-specific inflammation.
“There was actually a study that focused on using semaglutide as a monotherapy to improve skin in patients with PASI scores of 10 or greater. We saw that there was not only weight reduction, but also skin improvement, as well as improvement in DLQI in those patients,” Ben Lockshin, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, told Dermatology Times.
But for people with psoriasis who are otherwise metabolically healthy, the jury’s still out. There haven’t been enough large, controlled studies to recommend GLP-1s purely for skin disease... yet. Eli Lilly has several trials underway, including one that could bring relief for those with psoriatic arthritis.
“We also have a blinded study looking at the combination of tirzepatide and ixekizumab versus ixekizumab alone,” Dr. Lockshin added. “This could be a game changer for patients who haven’t responded optimally to biologics due to elevated BMI.”
"This could be a game changer for patients who haven’t responded optimally to biologics due to elevated BMI." — Ben Lockshin, MD
Bottom line
GLP-1 receptor agonists are not approved treatments for psoriasis, but they may offer added benefits to patients already using them for diabetes or obesity. If future studies confirm these effects, they could become a powerful tool in treating inflammatory skin diseases, especially when metabolic issues are also in play.
For now, anyone considering a GLP-1 for off-label psoriasis treatment should work closely with both their endocrinologist and dermatologist to weigh the potential benefits and risks.
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