Use of weight loss drugs before bariatric surgery has soared in recent years, study finds

Research findings signal a shift in obesity and diabetes care, authors said

2025-10-03

(Press-News.org) Key Takeaways

Rapid uptake of weight loss drugs before metabolic and bariatric surgery: Between 2020 and 2024, the use of weight loss drugs before surgery rose sixteenfold among metabolic and bariatric surgery patients, highlighting their growing popularity and perceived effectiveness.

Substantial Increase Among Patients Without Diabetes: Use of GLP-1s, a class of drugs used to treat both Type 2 diabetes and weight loss, rose elevenfold in patients without diabetes, reflecting growing weight-focused use before surgery.

CHICAGO (October 3, 2025) — New research findings show a significant increase in the use of weight loss drugs among patients undergoing metabolic and bariatric surgery, signaling an evolution in the management of obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

The research will be presented at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2025 in Chicago, October 4-7. 

“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to treating obesity, metabolic syndrome, or diabetes and its related conditions,” said Patrick J. Sweigert, MD, senior author of the study and a bariatric and foregut surgeon at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. “We’re entering a new world of multidisciplinary care pathways and a new frontier of weight management that is important for patients and surgeons to think about.”

The research team performed a cross-sectional study looking at glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) among patients undergoing metabolic and bariatric surgery. Dr. Sweigert and colleagues analyzed nearly 365,000 patients who underwent primary metabolic and bariatric surgery between 2018 and 2024. They used the Epic Cosmos database, which includes more than 300 million patient records from institutions across the country, to examine prescription patterns for semaglutide and tirzepatide, two of the newest GLP-1s to hit the market.

Key Findings

Preliminary findings indicate the proportion of patients receiving at least one GLP-1 prescription in the year leading up to surgery increased from 1.8% in the first quarter of 2020 to 29.4% in the fourth quarter of 2024 — a sixteenfold rise. Use surged across patients with and without diabetes, underscoring the expanding role of these medications in obesity treatment, independent of diabetes status.

Among patients without Type 2 diabetes, preoperative GLP-1 use rose elevenfold over the past three years—from 2.1% in the first quarter of 2022 to 23.2% in the fourth quarter of 2024. By comparison, use among patients with Type 2 diabetes increased fourfold, from 11.3% to 45.2% over the same period.

The median age of patients was 43 years, the median preoperative body mass index (BMI) of these patients was 46. Women made up 80% of the sample, and 33% had a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes.

Lead author Stefanie C. Rohde, MD, a general surgery resident at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, noted that the findings reflect a shift in how bariatric surgery candidates perceive their treatment options.

“While patients previously believed they had to choose between GLP-1 receptor agonists and surgery, we’re now seeing that people are using both,” Dr. Rohde said. “We know that patients can use GLP-1s after bariatric surgery to amplify their weight loss. But all of this is still very new in terms of how to manage patients effectively.”

Going forward, she added, real-world data such as that from Epic Cosmos can support the development of evidence-based guidelines for when to start, combine, or transition between treatment approaches, whether before surgery or during the postoperative period.

The investigators acknowledged limitations in their analysis, including potential inaccuracies in health record data and uncertainty about whether patients filled or took their prescribed medications.

Study co-author is Mahmoud Abdel-Rasoul, MS, MPH.

Disclosures: The authors have no relevant disclosures.

Data included in this press release reflect updated findings from what appears in the abstract accepted for the ACS Clinical Congress 2025 Scientific Forum.

Citation: Sweigert P, et al. Preoperative Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Utilization Has Surged Among Bariatric Surgery Patients, Scientific Forum, American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2025.

Note: This research was presented as an abstract at the ACS Clinical Congress Scientific Forum. Research abstracts presented at the ACS Clinical Congress Scientific Forum are reviewed and selected by a program committee but are not yet peer reviewed.

# # # 

About the American College of Surgeons 

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The ACS is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The ACS has approximately 90,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. “FACS” designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the ACS.

Follow the ACS on social media: X | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook 

END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

EMS call times in rural areas take at least 20 minutes longer than national average

2025-10-03

Key Takeaways Almost 40% of emergency medical services calls in rural areas were for patients facing medically complex injuries compared with 26.4% nationally. Rural patients were four times more likely to end up at trauma centers designated for less severe injuries and five times more likely to go to critical access hospitals – small, rural hospitals that provide essential care. Call times for rural patients transported to specialty centers were more than 40 minutes longer compared with ...

Rectal bleeding in young adults linked to 8.5 times higher risk of colorectal cancer

2025-10-03

Key Takeaways In patients under 50, rectal bleeding was the strongest predictor of colorectal cancer, increasing odds by 8.5 times. 70% of young patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer had no family history of the disease. 88% of young cancer patients underwent a colonoscopy because of symptoms, not routine screening. CHICAGO — Adults under 50 undergoing colonoscopy were found to have a dramatically higher risk of having colorectal cancer when the procedure was done for rectal bleeding. Researchers found that rectal bleeding increased the odds of a colorectal cancer diagnosis by 8.5 times, ...

Hospital closures disproportionately affect socioeconomically disadvantaged communities

2025-10-03

Key Takeaways From 2010 to 2020, the United States saw a net loss of 298 hospitals capable of performing surgery, a 6.36% decrease. Of 4,688 active surgical hospitals in 2010, 784 (16.7%) closed by 2020, while only 486 new hospitals opened. Closed hospitals were more than twice as likely to be in areas of high poverty and social vulnerability compared to hospitals that remained open. CHICAGO — A new national study reveals that hospitals providing surgical care have closed at a significantly higher rate than new ones have opened, with closures disproportionately concentrated ...

Global disparities in premature mortality

2025-10-03

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study, disparities in probability of premature death, defined as probability of dying before age 70, were likely to reflect major inequality in access to health-enhancing technologies and living standards, as well as context-specific obstacles. Technological and medical advancements leading to universal health benefits need to be rapidly and fairly disseminated. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Omar Karlsson, PhD, email karlssono@outlook.com. To ...

Keck Medicine of USC expands world-class care in Pasadena

2025-10-03

Photos and b-roll package available for download here. LOS ANGELES — Top-quality health care just became more accessible in Pasadena. Keck Medicine of USC’s largest and most advanced outpatient location, located at 590 S. Fair Oaks Ave., is now open, bringing Keck Medicine’s clinical expertise, world-class services and leading-edge technology to Pasadena and neighboring communities in the San Gabriel Valley. “USC is always looking for opportunities to extend its mission and impact,” said Beong-Soo Kim, interim president of USC. “This strategic expansion in Pasadena allows ...

Untreated depression makes surgical outcomes worse in cancer patients

2025-10-03

Key Takeaways Depression can make recovery from surgery more difficult in older adults who undergo procedures for colorectal, hepatobiliary, and pancreatic cancers. Antidepressants mitigate these effects, which improves surgical outcomes and lowers postoperative costs.  CHICAGO (October 3, 2025) — Depression is known to be associated with physical health challenges, in everything from disrupting sleep to an increased cancer risk. Depression can also affect ...

Standardizing frailty indexes to improve preclinical aging research

2025-10-03

“We recommend that investigators carefully consider what aspects of frailty to include in their analyses instead of fully adopting the published scoring systems.” BUFFALO, NY — October 3, 2025 — A new research perspective was published in Volume 17, Issue 9 of Aging-US on August 26, 2025, titled “Analysis of the current state of frailty indexes and their implementation for aging intervention studies.” In this work, led by first author Oliver G. Frost from Loughborough ...

Hanbat National University researchers present new technique to boost solid oxide fuel cell performance

2025-10-03

Fuel cells are an efficient, clean alternative to traditional fossil-fuel-based energy systems. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are especially attractive due to their ability to use multiple fuels, high efficiency and reversibility. Cobalt (Co)-doped rare-earth layered perovskite oxides are attractive cathode materials for low- and medium-temperature SOFCs. They offer excellent electrochemical performance, owing to their high oxygen content and flexible control of oxygen transport. Yet, electrodes made from these materials demonstrate low long-term stability. Key strategies to ...

Even short school breaks affect student learning unevenly across socioeconomic backgrounds

2025-10-03

The COVID-19 pandemic affected people worldwide disproportionately, with economically disadvantaged households facing a heavier burden. Children were also affected since schools and classes were closed to contain the virus. Many students, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds, lost their learning environments, and their academic performance suffered. However, the pandemic presented other challenges that may have also affected students, such as parents losing jobs, financial stress at home, and parents not having the option to work from home. So, it is unclear how ...

When words matter: Language and culture shape early childhood outcomes

2025-10-03

Children entering school from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families are more likely to face developmental challenges than their peers, according to a large population-based study in Western Australia. Researchers found that nearly one in four CALD children displayed vulnerabilities in at least one key developmental domain, with communication skills and general knowledge showing the largest gaps. These difficulties go beyond the classroom, shaping social integration, self-confidence, and long-term educational opportunities. ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Scientists trace microplastics in fertilizer from fields to the beach

The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Women’s Health: Taking paracetamol during pregnancy does not increase risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disabilities, confirms new gold-standard evidence review