The dangers of popular weight loss drugs
A group of American and Canadian anesthesiologists have sounded the alarm over a new class of weight loss drugs. Scientists have warned that the drugs increase the risk of serious complications for patients under sedation on the operating table.The authors of the new study looked at surgery data from patients taking drugs that affect GTP-1. They are made by brands such as Ozempic and Wegovy. The drugs slow digestion and gastric emptying.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), GPP-1, is a peptide hormone from the incretin family (produced in the intestine in response to food intake). The localization of GLP-1 production is L-cells in the small intestine, and it regulates insulin secretion and other biochemical processes in the body.
Researchers are concerned - they believe that these drugs are dangerous for people who are scheduled for surgery. Because of the medication, pre-operative fasting will work so effectively, leaving solids in the stomach. They can consequently cause aspiration, in which the foreign substance is inhaled into the lungs during sedation.
Current American Society of Anesthesiologists guidelines call for skipping oral forms of these drugs the day before surgery or abstaining from injectable drugs for a week.
However, a new study suggests that these deadlines may need to be changed. They should be increased. And for patients with GLP-1 receptor antagonists for type II diabetes, the researchers advise consulting an endocrinologist about the risks and abstaining from the drug for "at least three half-lives" before scheduled procedures.
The study was published in the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia.