GLP-1 Drugs May Lower Surgical Complications in Diabetes Patients: Study Finds
People with diabetes who were taking GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs such as tirzepatide and semaglutide had significantly lower rates of hospital readmission, wound re-opening and hematoma after surgery, according to a large study.
The study, published online in advance of print in the Annals of Surgery, analyzed de-identified hospital records covering 74,425 surgical procedures in 21,772 patients with diabetes over a three-and-a-half-year period ending in July 2023. The investigators found that patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists, had about a 12% lower risk of hospital readmission within a month of surgery, a 29% lower risk of wound re-opening within six months of surgery, and about a 56% lower risk of hematoma (a collection of blood in tissue caused by bleeding) at the surgery site, compared with patients who were not taking such medications.
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