The share of patients starting GLP-1 weight-loss drugs after bariatric surgery has climbed sharply in recent years, according to a large retrospective cohort study published Aug.27 in JAMA Surgery.
Among more than 113,000 adults who underwent bariatric surgery, 14% initiated GLP-1s postoperatively — most commonly women, patients who had sleeve gastrectomy and those with less weight loss after surgery. Use rose from 1.7% between 2015 and 2019 to 12.6% between mid-2020 and 2025.
“Some patients do not lose as much weight as expected, or they regain weight after a few years. In such cases, GLP-1 therapies are emerging as an important option,” lead author Hemalkumar Mehta, PhD, associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said in a Sept. 4 Medscape report.
Researchers noted no published evidence yet on GLP-1 outcomes in this setting, highlighting the need for further study on effectiveness and optimal timing, according to Medscape.
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