Study: Semaglutide Improves PASI Scores

Semaglutide may offer dual dermatologic and metabolic benefits in patients with psoriasis and obesity, even in the absence of diabetes, according to a 6-month prospective cohort study in Clinical and Experimental Dermatology.

Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist approved for obesity and type 2 diabetes, was associated with significant reductions in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores, body fat, depressive symptoms, and metabolic dysfunction. The study included 43 non-diabetic adults with obesity and moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, all of whom received weekly semaglutide in combination with lifestyle counseling.

After 6 months of treatment, PASI scores decreased by 48% on average. Participants also showed significant reductions in body mass index (BMI), preperitoneal and superficial fat, and improvements in quality of life and mood, as assessed by the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), respectively.

Importantly, PASI improvement correlated most strongly with reductions in superficial fat (r = 0.89), DLQI (r = 0.55), and BDI (r = 0.51). Associations between PASI improvement and baseline metabolic and inflammatory variables—such as insulin resistance (HOMA-IR, r = –0.82) and preperitoneal fat (r = –0.66)—remained statistically significant after adjusting for age and weight loss. Changes in BMI and glycemic markers alone were not independently predictive.

“These findings suggest that the beneficial effects of semaglutide on psoriasis extend beyond weight loss,” the authors concluded. “Fat distribution and psychosocial improvements appear to play a more central role in skin disease remission than overall weight reduction.”¹