A UK study found that patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists face a significantly higher incidence of pulmonary aspiration and regurgitation during procedures requiring anesthesia.

A national prospective multicenter cohort study published in the journal Anaesthesia reveals that patients taking glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) face an increased risk of pulmonary aspiration and regurgitation during anesthesia. Researchers found that 2.9% of 47,039 patients across 119 UK sites reported using these medications. The findings were presented to coincide with the Association of Anaesthetists annual meeting held in Liverpool, England.

Study Findings and Risk Factors

The study, led by Thomas E. Potter of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, compared outcomes between patients taking GLP-1 RAs and those who were not. The incidence of pulmonary aspiration and/or regurgitation was 1.41% for patients on GLP-1 RAs, compared to 0.12% for the non-GLP-1 RA cohort, resulting in an odds ratio of 11.39. Researchers noted that these complications occurred most frequently during the emergence phase of anesthesia. The study also highlighted that perioperative management, including drug cessation protocols and airway management, varied significantly across the sites involved. The authors suggest that further prospective research is necessary to identify specific interventions that could mitigate these risks and improve patient safety.