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TOPLINE:

In patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), treatment with GLP-1 receptor agonists is not associated with an increased incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) adverse events over 12 months.

METHODOLOGY:

• IBD often coexists with obesity, but GI complications related to the use of GLP-1 RAs in patients with IBD remain unclear.
• This retrospective study analyzed electronic health record data from patients with IBD obtained across hospitals and community practices between January 2010 and October 2024.
• Researchers compared GI outcomes before and after GLP-1 RA exposure, defined as at least two filled prescriptions within 90 days. Six GLP-1 RAs were considered: dulaglutide, liraglutide, exenatide, semaglutide, lixisenatide, and the dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP)/GLP-1 tirzepatide.
• The primary outcome was the incidence of any GI adverse event: ileus or bowel obstruction, bowel surgery, IBD-related hospitalization, or escalation of IBD treatment
• Outcomes were compared over 12 months before and 12 months after GLP-1 RA exposure.

TAKEAWAY:

• Researchers included 271 patients (median age, 62.8 years; 62% women), among whom 64% had ulcerative colitis; semaglutide was the most prescribed GLP-1 RA (58%), followed by dulaglutide (28%).
• The incidence of GI adverse events did not differ significantly in the 12 months before and after exposure to GLP-1 RAs; no changes were observed in the 6-month window either
• No IBD-related hospitalizations occurred after GLP-1 RA exposure.

IN PRACTICE:

"These findings add to the emerging body of literature supporting the safety of GLP-1 RAs in IBD, reinforcing their role as a metabolic and weight-loss therapy that does not exacerbate gastrointestinal complications in this patient population," the authors write.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Jonathan Weng, MD, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts. It was published online August 19 in Digestive Diseases and Sciences.

LIMITATIONS: 

As a retrospective study, residual confounding cannot be excluded. The dosage of GLP-1 RAs was not known. The low incidence of adverse events may indicate that the cohort was relatively healthy at baseline, potentially influencing the outcomes.

DISCLOSURES:

This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.