Surgical patients taking blockbuster weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy could be at risk of dying from asphyxiation, a study warns.
Researchers in California looked at nearly 1 million Americans who underwent endoscopy, which examines the upper digestive tract.
They found that patients who underwent the procedure, which involves inserting a tube with a camera on the end down the throat while the patient is sedated, were 33 percent more likely to suffer from aspiration pneumonia.
This causes food, liquids or saliva to be absorbed into the airways, which could cause suffocation and kills nearly 60,000 Americans a year.
Dr. Ali Rezaie, study author and medical director of the GI Motility Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said, “Aspiration during or after endoscopy can be devastating.”
The researchers found that those who took GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy before an endoscopy had a 33 percent increased risk of developing aspiration pneumonia.
Weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy mimic the production of the hormone GLP-1, which helps keep the body full.
‘If it is significant, it can cause respiratory failure, admission to the ICU and even death. Even mild cases may require close monitoring, respiratory support, and medications, including antibiotics.
“It is important that we take every precaution possible to prevent aspiration from occurring.”
Ozempic and Wegovy are brand names of the drug semaglutide, which suppresses appetite and causes weight loss.
The drug binds to the GLP-1 receptor, a protein that activates hormones in the brain that keep the stomach full and tell the body to stop eating and avoid cravings.
Wegovy is FDA approved for type 2 diabetes, obesity, and most recently, heart disease.
Ozempic is approved by the FDA for patients with type 2 diabetes, although its off-label use for weight loss has become increasingly common.
The researchers analyzed data from nearly 1 million anonymous patients who underwent endoscopies between January 2018 and December 2020.
They found that those who were prescribed GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy were 33 percent more likely to experience aspiration pneumonia than those who did not take these medications before endoscopy.
“When we apply this risk to the more than 20 million endoscopies performed in the U.S. each year, there may actually be a large number of cases where aspiration could be avoided if the patient discontinues safely and early. their GLP-1RA medication,” Dr. Rezaie said.
Aspiration pneumonia is an infection caused by inhaling food, saliva, bacteria, or liquids and getting them trapped in the respiratory tract.
Symptoms include difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing up blood or pus, chest pain, bad breath, and extreme tiredness.
Dr. Rezaie said GLP-1 drugs can cause aspiration pneumonia before an endoscopy because the drugs slow digestion, causing food to stay in the stomach longer.
As a result, the stomach may not be completely empty while the patient is fasting, which is necessary before an endoscopy to obtain a clear image.
This could cause suffocation because while a person is under general anesthesia, stomach contents can rise to the mouth and enter the windpipe and lungs.
Dr. Yee Hui Yeo, lead author of the study and a clinical fellow in the Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Cedars-Sinai, said, “The results of this study could change clinical practice.”
“Patients taking these medications and planning to undergo a procedure should communicate with their healthcare team well in advance to avoid unnecessary and unwanted complications.”
Aspiration pneumonia is usually treated with antibiotics and ozygen therapy.
Although most people are expected to survive, aspiration pneumonia kills about 58,000 Americans each year, according to 2022 data.
The study was published Wednesday in the journal Gastroenterology.