Exploring the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists in fibromyalgia: a propensity-matched real-world cohort using the TriNetX research platform.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) on symptom burden and opioid use in patients with fibromyalgia using real-world data. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the TriNetX Research Network. Patients with fibromyalgia (≥2 diagnostic encounters) were divided into two groups: those with and without ≥2 prescriptions for GLP-1RA. Propensity score matching at a 1:1 ratio for age, sex and key comorbidities, including diabetes mellitus, obesity, osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, ischemic heart disease, sleep disorders, migraine and medication use, was performed. Outcomes were assessed over a five-year follow-up period. This included opioid use, diagnostic codes for pain, fatigue and disability, body mass index and haemoglobin A1C. Statistical analysis included odds ratios, risk differences and t tests. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, there were 48 025 patients in each cohort. Baseline characteristics were well matched, though BMI and Haemoglobin A1c were higher in the GLP-1RA cohort than in non-GLP-1RA users. GLP-1RA use was associated with significantly reduced odds of opioid prescription (OR 0.65), pain diagnostic codes (OR 0.79) and fatigue diagnostic codes (OR 0.68) (all P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in disability-related diagnostic codes. BMI and HbA1C remained higher in patients on GLP-1RA. CONCLUSION: GLP-1RA use was associated with reduced opioid prescription and a reduction in the use of ICD-10 codes related to fibromyalgia, potentially reflecting lower symptom burden. Further studies using validated outcome measures are needed to confirm these findings.