GLP-1 use before weight-loss surgery rising, not linked to harmful outcomes
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Key takeaways:
- The use of GLP-1 receptor agonists in the year before weight-loss surgery rose more than threefold between 2018 and 2023.
- GLP-1 use was not linked to increased risk for poor postoperative outcomes.
Among patients with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery, the proportion taking a GLP-1 receptor agonist in the year before their procedure rose sharply between 2018 and 2023, researchers reported.
In addition, there were no differences in 30-day postoperative outcomes between patients who took a GLP-1 receptor agonist in the year before their surgery and those who did not, according to a presentation at the American College of Surgery Clinical Congress.
“Losing weight can perhaps make the surgery easier and safer, so that’s an exciting potential avenue for these medications,” Tarik Yuce, MD, MS, assistant professor of surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine, said in a press release.
The researchers analyzed data from 2,185 patients with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery at three hospitals in Indiana between 2018 and 2023, of whom 14.8% used a GLP-1 receptor agonist in the year before their surgery.
The rate of GLP-1 receptor agonist use rose more than threefold during the study period, from 8.6% in 2018 to 26.8% in 2023, the researchers found.
GLP-1 receptor agonist use was more common in men than in women (21.3% vs. 13.6%; P < .001), Yuce and colleagues found.
The researchers did not observe any differences between the groups in 30-day postoperative outcomes or in median percent excess weight loss at 1 year (GLP-1 group, 56.8%; no GLP-1 group, 60.8%).
“It might be safe to use GLP-1 [receptor agonists] in the preoperative period,” Qais AbuHasan, MD, research fellow at the Indiana University School of Medicine, who presented the findings, said in the release. “But we need to investigate further to determine whether factors such as the dose and duration of treatment may or may not lead to any differences in outcomes.”
Reference:
- Bariatric surgery is more cost effective than newer weight loss drugs alone. Additionally, newer weight loss drugs appear safe to use before bariatric surgery. https://www.facs.org/media-center/press-releases/2024/bariatric-surgery-is-more-cost-effective-than-newer-weight-loss-drugs-alone. Published Oct. 18, 2024. Accessed Oct. 29, 2024.
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AbuHasan Q, et al. Bariatric/Foregut II. Presented at: American College of Surgery Clinical Congress; Oct. 19-22, 2024; San Francisco.
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