Study Reveals 14% of U.S. Adults Begin GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Therapy Post-Bariatric Surgery

A recent study published in JAMA Surgery has reported that approximately 14% of U.S. adults who undergo bariatric surgery initiate treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) after their procedure. The research, led by Minji Kim from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, analyzed electronic health records of about 113 million Americans to understand medication patterns following bariatric interventions.

The findings indicated that 21.5% of these individuals started GLP-1 RA therapy within the first two years post-surgery. The remaining patients began treatment during subsequent years, with 32.3% in years 3-4, 25.2% in years 5-6, and 21.0% beyond six years after surgery.

Certain groups were more likely to initiate GLP-1 RAs, including female patients, those who had sleeve gastrectomy, and individuals with type 2 diabetes. The study also found that higher post-surgical body mass index (BMI) was associated with an increased likelihood of starting GLP-1 therapy, with each unit rise in BMI elevating the chance by 8%.

Senior researcher Hemalkumar Mehta emphasized that these results raise important questions for future obesity and metabolic health research, highlighting the evolving landscape of pharmacological management following surgical weight loss procedures.

This study underscores the growing role of GLP-1 RAs in post-bariatric care, reflecting their significance in managing weight and metabolic conditions in this patient population.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-adults-glp-receptor-agonists-bariatric.html