The FDA is warning that patients taking GLP-1s may be at a higher risk of inhaling fluid into their lungs while under anesthesia.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has added a new warning to drugs including Ozempic and Wegovy, cautioning that patients taking the drugs may be at a higher risk of inhaling gastric contents into their lungs while under anesthesia.to most of the drugs on Nov. 1, according to the agency’s website. The warning applies to GLP-1 receptor agonists including Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Saxenda, Victoza, Mounjaro and Zepbound.
It’s not yet clear if the problem could be solved by changing the pre-anesthesia fasting period or by temporarily halting the use of the GLP-1s, according to the FDA. The FDA said that patients should tell their doctor that they’re taking a GLP-1 before they undergo any surgeries or other procedures.Medical providers have been aware of the aspiration risk for years, said Dr.
The majority of patients on GLP-1s are unlikely to have any issues, Fitch said, but the slowed stomach emptying could cause problems for some. Because of that, she said, she would recommend that patients don’t halt the drug ahead of surgery, but instead fast for longer before surgery. “The issue is not so much that the medication increases the risk of aspiration itself,” Fitch said. “It’s about giving your stomach enough time to empty.”In its recommendation, the European Medicines Agency noted that studies have not shown that taking a GLP-1 directly causes a higher risk of aspiration while under anesthesia. Rather, the recommendation came as a precaution, because GLP-1s are known to slow stomach emptying.
Weight loss drugs have exploded into the public spotlight in the U.S., particularly after the FDA approved Wegovy for weight loss in 2021. Wegovy, which is the weight loss version of the drug Ozempic, was the first weight loss drug to receive FDA approval since Saxenda was approved in 2014.have taken a GLP-1 at some point, either for weight loss or for treatment of diabetes or another condition, according to a May 2024 poll by KFF Health News.
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