According to a study published in Gastroenterology, drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, which are glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) used for diabetes, can lead to high chances of developing aspiration pneumonia post-endoscopy.Â
Aspiration pneumonia emerges when foreign substances like food from the gut or secretion from the mouth are inhaled into the lungs. This disease can lead to infection within the lungs and might need treatment like antibiotics. Even though the condition is rare among healthy people, people need to be aware of the precautions since people with severe health issues might suffer from the disease.Â
This kind of pneumonia is a subset caused by a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection within the lungs. Endoscopy is a process where doctors insert a tube-like instrument through a patient’s throats to observe organs inside the body like the esophagus, stomach and small intestine.Â
The weight management drugs (Ozempic and Wegovy) slow down digestion and extend a sensation of fullness, thereby reducing food intake. Food remains in the stomach for a more extended period, which in turn affects the lungs, leading to Aspiration pneumonia. However, this prolonged presence of food means that the stomach might not be fully emptied during the standard fasting period recommended before surgical interventions to minimize the risk of aspiration.Â
Some doctors have concluded that these weight loss drugs decrease the speed food travels through the gastrointestinal tract primarily in the stomach. This is one of the reasons why such medications are associated with a high rate of nausea and vomiting. When patients are sedated for any procedure, the food in the stomach can reflux back into the swallowing pipe and throat, and some of this food can find its way into the breathing tube and the lungs, a process called aspiration.Â
Doctors say it is important to understand that the overall risk of aspiration is still low at 0.8%, but if a person is on these medications, this risk can be reduced to 0.6% (i.e. 33% less) by temporarily holding the medication prior to the procedure if deemed appropriate by their healthcare provider.Â
This research has examined data from almost 1 million anonymous patients within the United States who have undergone upper or lower endoscopy procedures from January 2018 to 2020. Even though the patient’s ages were not taken into consideration, older patients are more likely to develop pneumonia and infection of the lungs from aspirating stomach contents. But young, healthy patients might have little or no problems.Â
Journal Reference- (N.d.).
Retrieved from https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(24)00298-1/abstractÂ
