AA: Pulmonary Aspiration, Regurgitation Under Anesthesia More Likely With GLP-1 RAs

FRIDAY, Oct. 2, 2026 (HealthDay News) — In the United Kingdom, 2.9 percent of patients undergoing anesthesia reported receiving glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), according to a study published online Sept. 16 in Anesthesia to coincide with the annual meeting of the Association of Anaesthetists, held from Sept. 16 to 18 in Liverpool, England.

Thomas E. Potter, M.B.B.S., from Guy”s and St. Thomas” NHS Foundation Trust in London, and colleagues conducted a national prospective multicenter cohort study of adults undergoing elective or emergency procedures under the care of an anesthetist to examine perioperative GLP-1 RA use and outcomes.

The researchers found that 2.9 percent of 47,039 patients from 119 sites across the United Kingdom reported receiving GLP-1 RAs. With respect to drug cessation, anesthesia, and airway management, perioperative management was variable. In the non-GLP-1 RA cohort and the GLP-1 RA cohort, the incidence of pulmonary aspiration and/or regurgitation was 0.12 and 1.41 percent, respectively (odds ratio, 11.39). Pulmonary aspiration and/or regurgitation occurred most often during emergence from anesthesia among patients receiving GLP-1 RAs.

“These data warrant further prospective studies to determine interventions that may mitigate risks of pulmonary aspiration and improve patient outcomes,” the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to GE Health Care and Fisher and Paykel Healthcare.

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