Effects of Treatment with Liraglutide on Health-Related Quality of Life and Obstructive Sleep Apnea in People with Obesity and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract Purpose The rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obesity are increasing worldwide. Both COPD and obesity are highly associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and all three conditions are associated with reduced quality of life. Liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) approved for weight loss and the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In addition, liraglutide has anti-inflammatory properties. We investigated the effect of treatment with liraglutide on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and OSA in people with obesity and COPD. MethodsWe designed and performed a double-blinded randomized controlled trial of obese participants with COPD from two outpatient clinics. Forty patients were randomized to a liraglutide group (3.0 mg, subcutaneous) and a placebo group, to receive treatment for 40 weeks. At baseline and the end of the medication period, the participants underwent cardiorespiratory monitoring and completed Short Form-36 version 2 (SF-36v2) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).ResultsWe diagnosed 84% of the participants with some degree of OSA. Compared to placebo, liraglutide resulted in reductions in Apnea–Hypopnea Index (AHI), Oxygen Desaturation Index (ODI) and a rise in Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) in certain OSA subgroups and improved several SF-36v2 domains. ConclusionOSA is common among obese people with COPD. 40 weeks of treatment with liraglutide may improve some measures of OSA and HRQoL in obese people with COPD. Trial registrationStudy procedures were in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki after approval by the Scientific Ethics Committee of The Region of Southern Denmark (j. no S-20170147) and Eudract (j. no. 2017-003551-32). The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03466021) and monitored according to Good Clinical Practice (GCP) by the GCP Unit of Odense University Hospital (Odense, Denmark).