Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists have been shown to decrease complication rates in spine patients, and for ACDF patients they may provide some benefit after surgery, according to a study in the May issue of The Spine Journal.
Six things to know:
1. A retrospective cohort study looked at adult patients with type 2 diabetes and/or obesity who had one- or two-level between 2015 and 2022. A total 20,941 patients were included from an administrative claims database.
2. Researchers measured the incidence of 90-day and one-year postoperative complications. Propensity score matching was employed at a 1:1 ratio to match patients using GLP-1 agonists 6 months before and after surgery to those who weren’t using GLP-1s.
3. There were no differences in rates of postoperative pulmonary aspiration in patients utilizing GLP-1 compared to the control group. There also weren’t ant differences in nonunion rates for GLP-1 and non-GLP-1 users after ACDF.
4. GLP-1 use was associated with decreased rates of extended hospital stays after surgery.
5. There weren’t any increased rates of pulmonary aspiration after ACDF for GLP-1 users.
6. Researchers concluded, “In this study, GLP-1 agonists have shown favorable outcomes without increasing the risk of aspiration in patients who undergo a single or 2-level ACDF. In addition to reducing postoperative medical complications, the medications also showed no increased risk of postoperative pulmonary aspiration or 1-year pseudarthrosis. Overall, while GLP-1 agonists provide benefits including increased glycemic control and weight loss, more data are needed to delineate the true effect of GLP-1 agonists on clinical outcomes following ACDF.”
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