Study Finds Popular Drugs Used for Diabetes and Weight-Loss Doesn’t Increase Aspiration or Pneumonia in Surgery Patients

A study has found no association between prescription glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist medications and increased risk of aspiration or pneumonia in surgery patients. GLP-1 agonists are medications marketed under brand names like Ozempic, Trulicity, and Victoza, among others, prescribed to lower blood sugar and promote weight loss. These findings are important given the increased use of GLP-1 medications in recent years.

Anesthesiologists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai wanted to understand how the use of these medications could impact management of patients undergoing surgery, given the potential impact of GLP-1 agonists on gastric emptying and the associated aspiration risk.

“The evidence to provide guidance for preoperative management of these drugs to prevent regurgitation and pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents is … limited,” the researchers wrote. The study was designed to determine the impact of the drugs on aspiration and subsequent pneumonia risk among patients undergoing various surgical procedures.

The doctors conducted a retrospective cohort study of nearly 700,000 patients undergoing lower extremity joint replacement, hysterectomy, appendectomy, and cholecystectomy. They found that preoperative GLP-1 use was not associated with increased instances of perioperative aspiration or pneumonia. They did note, however, that “given the very recent increases in their use, continued monitoring will be prudent.”

The research abstract, “Preoperative GLP-1 Agonist Use is Not Associated With Perioperative Aspiration or Pneumonia: a National Observational Study,” was selected as one of three Best of Meeting awards, and will be presented on March 21 at 3:45 pm PT, during the 49th Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting in San Diego, CA. The authors are Drs. Jashvant Poeran, Yhan Colon Iban, Haoyan Zhong, Crispiana Cozowicz, Lisa Reisinger, Jiabin Liu, and Stavros Memtsoudis.

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