Ozempic-like drugs linked to low, but increased risk of post-endoscopy pneumonia, study finds
Diabetes and obesity GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, which can delay stomach emptying, have introduced a predicament for patients undergoing surgeries and endoscopies — the patients in some cases may still have food in their stomach even if they’ve fasted, raising concerns that they could accidentally breathe food into their lungs during the procedures.
These concerns have been based on anecdotes, and it’s so far unclear how big an issue this is, but a new study published in Gastroenterology Wednesday offers some early clues. It links GLP-1 drugs to a higher risk of aspiration pneumonia — lung infection caused by food breathed into the lungs — following endoscopies.
