Study links GLP-1 drugs to fewer heart problems after surgery
Patients taking GLP-1 drugs before elective surgery had fewer heart complications and infections afterward, according to Newsweek, which reported on a new study. The study of more than 2 million patients found 11% lower odds of major heart problems. It shows a link, not proof that the drugs caused it.
People taking GLP-1 drugs before elective surgery were less likely to have serious heart complications or infections afterward, according to Newsweek, which reported on a large study.
The study by researchers at UTHealth Houston was presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2026 annual meeting in San Diego, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists. It used health records from the Epic Cosmos database, which draws on more than 1,700 hospitals and 40,000 clinics, Newsweek reported.
The researchers studied 2,028,601 adults who had elective surgeries lasting more than an hour with at least a day in the hospital between January 2016 and December 2024, Newsweek reported. Of those, 145,610 were taking GLP-1 drugs, a class that includes semaglutide and tirzepatide, Newsweek reported.
After matching similar patients, the researchers found GLP-1 use was linked to 11% lower odds of major heart events, including heart attack, stroke and death, Newsweek reported. It was also linked to 8% lower odds of infections after surgery, Newsweek reported. Major heart events occurred in 1% of GLP-1 users and 1.1% of non-users, Newsweek reported.
"Beyond their effects on appetite and satiety, these drugs may also modulate inflammatory pathways, which could help explain the associations we observed," said lead author Josephine Tolan, according to Newsweek.
Anesthesiologists worry the drugs slow stomach emptying, which can raise the risk of inhaling stomach contents during anesthesia, Newsweek reported. "Our findings do not eliminate that concern," Tolan said, according to Newsweek. Current guidance favors case-by-case decisions on continuing the drugs before surgery, Newsweek reported.
The study was observational and cannot prove the drugs caused the lower risks, Newsweek reported. Jessica Duncan, an obesity medicine physician not involved in the study, said the absolute differences were small but could matter across millions of surgeries, Newsweek reported.
What we know: A study of over 2 million surgical patients linked GLP-1 use to fewer heart complications and infections after surgery.
What we don't: Whether the drugs caused the benefit, and whether patients should keep taking them right before surgery. Only Newsweek has reported this so far; NewsHabit hasn't seen independent confirmation.
Where outlets agree This is one outlet's report: Newsweek is the only outlet NewsHabit has counted with its own reporting on the study so far.
Where they differ Newsweek reports that the study linked GLP-1 use to fewer complications, while the researchers themselves caution that the observational study cannot prove the drugs caused it.