Study: GLP-1 drugs reduce surgical complications in diabetes patients

Editor's Note

GLP-1 drugs may improve surgical outcomes without increasing risks for diabetic patients, according to a January 7 article in Medical Xpress.

The article covers a study published in the Annals of Surgery finding that GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, significantly reduced certain surgical complications in patients with diabetes.  Led by Weill Cornell Medicine, Columbia University, and New York-Presbyterian, the research analyzed de-identified records from 21,772 diabetic patients who underwent 74,425 surgeries from February 2020 to July 2023. Key findings include:

• A 12% lower risk of hospital readmission within 30 days for patients on GLP-1 drugs.
• A 29% reduced risk of wound reopening within six months.
• A 56% lower risk of hematoma, compared to patients not taking GLP-1 drugs.

Researchers used propensity matching to ensure fair comparisons between patients on and off GLP-1 medications, focusing on outcomes like hospital readmission, wound reopening, hematoma, bleeding, and infection, Medical Xpress reports. Although rates of bleeding and infection were unaffected, the significant reductions in wound reopening and hematoma suggest potential benefits of GLP-1 drugs for wound healing. Researchers are now investigating whether similar benefits occur in non-diabetic surgical patients.