Impact of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists on Chronic Low Back Pain in Patients with Obesity: A Prospective Pilot Cohort Study
Discuss this preprint
Start a discussion What are Sciety discussions?Listed in
This article is not in any list yet, why not save it to one of your lists.Abstract
Objective
To evaluate whether glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are associated with improvements in pain severity, disability, quality of life, and physical function in adults with obesity and chronic low back pain (cLBP), and to explore potential mechanisms.
Design
Prospective, single-arm cohort study.
Subjects
Thirty-five adults (median age 41 years; 86% women) with obesity (median BMI 39.9 kg/m²) and cLBP initiating GLP-1 RAs (tirzepatide, n=24; semaglutide, n=11).
Methods
Participants completed questionnaires at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. The primary outcome was Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF) pain severity. Secondary outcomes included body mass index (BMI), BPI-SF pain interference, Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) back pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Short Form-12 (SF-12). At baseline and 6 months, a subset (n=24) underwent quantitative sensory testing, physical performance testing, and blood draws for inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10), adipokines (leptin, adiponectin), and hemoglobin A1c.
Results
Over 12 months, BMI decreased by 12.5% (median 39.9 to 34.9 kg/m², 95% CI [-6.6, -4.2]). BPI-SF pain severity improved (median 4.8 to 2.0, 95% CI [-2.1, -0.8]), as did pain interference, ODI, NRS back pain, and SF-12 physical component scores. Hemoglobin A1c, leptin, and C-reactive protein decreased. Adiponectin increased and physical performance improved, but neither reached significance. Experimental pain sensitivity was unchanged.
Conclusions
GLP-1 RAs were associated with clinically meaningful improvements in pain, disability, and quality of life. These findings suggest GLP-1 RAs may be a promising nonsurgical therapy for cLBP; randomized controlled trials are needed to establish causality and mechanisms.
