Impact of GLP-1RA on the Risk of Adverse Liver Outcomes Among Patients With Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease and Type 2 Diabetes

Perioperative Benzodiazepine Exposure Impacts Risk of New Persistent Benzodiazepine Use Among Patients with Cancer

BACKGROUND

Benzodiazepines are the third most misused medication, with many patients having their first exposure during a surgical episode. We sought to characterize factors associated with new persistent benzodiazepine use (NPBU) among patients undergoing cancer surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients who underwent cancer surgery between 2013 and 2021 were identified using the IBM-MarketScan database. NPBU was defined as one prescription filled during the 90-180 days period after surgery by patients who were previously benzodiazepine naïve. The association of variables with perioperative benzodiazepine use and NPBU was assessed using multivariable regression.

RESULTS

Among 34,637 patients with cancer (breast: n = 5460, 15.8%; lung: n = 3479, 10.0%; esophagus: n = 384, 1.1%; gastric: n = 852, 2.5%; liver: n =502, 1.4%; biliary: n = 268, 0.8%; pancreas: n = 1290, 3.7%; colon: n = 10,838, 31.3%; rectum: n = 2566, 7.4%; prostate: n = 8998, 26.0%), most were male (n = 19,687, 56.8%) with a median age of 57 years (IQR 51-61 years). Overall, 8.8% of patients had perioperative benzodiazepine use and 7.5% of patients developed NPBU following surgery. On multivariable analyses, perioperative benzodiazepine exposure (ref. no perioperative exposure: OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.68-2.38) and higher perioperative dose of > 32.0 lorazepam milligram equivalents (LME) (ref. < 10 LME: OR 2.42, 95% CI 2.01-2.92) were independently associated with higher odds of NPBU. Notably, male patients had lower odds of NPBU versus female patients (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.68-0.94).

CONCLUSIONS

Roughly 1 in 13 commercially insured patients developed NPBU following surgery for cancer. Judicious use of benzodiazepines among patients with high risk of misuse can mitigate NPBU to help avoid benzodiazepine-related complications such as overdose or accidental deaths.

Semaglutide and the risk of adverse liver outcomes in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes: a multi-institutional cohort study

BACKGROUND

Semaglutide has shown potential liver benefits in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, no direct comparisons have been made between semaglutide and other antidiabetic medications, including sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), thiazolidinediones (TZD), and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i), regarding liver outcomes in patients with both NAFLD and T2D.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study utilized the TriNetX electronic health record database, a multinational and multi-institutional database. Adults with NAFLD and T2D who received their first prescription for either semaglutide or other antidiabetic medications were included. New users of semaglutide were matched 1:1 via propensity score matching with users of SGLT2i, DPP-4i, and TZD. The primary outcome was major adverse liver outcome (MALO), a composite end point consisting of decompensated cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplantation. Secondary outcomes included the individual components of MALO and all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 648,070 adult patients with T2D and NAFLD were identified, and patients were categorized into three different comparison groups based on their drug of interest. Semaglutide was associated with a lower risk of MALO compared to SGLT2i (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.73; 95% CI 0.60-0.88), DPP-4i (aHR, 0.72; 95% CI 0.56-0.86), and TZD (aHR, 0.76; 95% CI 0.56-0.99). Additionally, semaglutide was linked to a lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to SGLT2i (aHR, 0.62; 95% CI 0.53-0.72), DPP-4i (aHR, 0.42; 95% CI 0.36-0.49), and TZD (aHR, 0.67; 95% CI 0.54-0.83).

CONCLUSION

Semaglutide is associated with better liver outcomes and a lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to SGLT2i, DPP-4i, and TZD in patients with NAFLD and T2D.

Impact of Preoperative Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist on Outcomes Following Major Surgery

BACKGROUND

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) are increasingly being used for the management of diabetes mellitus and obesity. We sought to define the impact of preoperative GLP-1RA use on outcomes following major surgical procedures.

METHODS

Patients who underwent a major surgical procedure between 2013 and 2021 were identified using the IBM MarketScan database. Patients who took GLP-1RA within a year before surgery were categorized as "exposed." After propensity score matching (PSM), multivariable regression analysis was used to define the association of GLP-1RA exposure with postoperative complications.

RESULTS

Among 138,980 patients (coronary artery bypass graft: n = 39,516, 28.4%; pneumonectomy: n = 4,881, 3.5%; abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: 4,459, 3.3%; pancreatectomy: n = 15,873, 11.4%; and colectomy: n = 74,251, 53.4%), most individuals were male (n = 80,871, 58.2%) with a median age of 58 (IQR 53-61) years. 2944 (2.2%) individuals had GLP-1RA exposure before surgery. Overall incidence of complications was 36.5% (n = 50,724); complications included sepsis (n = 6,385, 4.6%), surgical site infections (n = 7,431, 5.3%), thromboembolism (n = 3,609, 2.6%), pneumonia (n = 4,783, 3.4%), renal (n = 9,017, 6.5%), or cardiopulmonary failure (n = 26,661, 19.2%). On unmatched analysis, patients on GLP-1RA had a higher risk of complications (no GLP-1RA: 36.3% vs. GLP-1RA: 44.5% p < 0.001); however, after PSM to account for measured confounders, GLP-1RA exposure was not associated with the odds of surgical complications (OR 0.99 95% CI 0.91-1.08; p > 0.05). Among patients using GLP-1RA during the 2 weeks before surgery (n = 522, 17.7%), there was no association of GLP-1RA with risk of complications (nonrecent GLP-1RA: 44.7% vs. recent GLP-1RA: 44.1%; p = 0.992).

CONCLUSIONS

GLP-1RA use was not associated with an increased risk of complications following major surgical procedures.

Open versus minimally invasive surgery: risk of new persistent opioid use

BACKGROUND

New persistent opioid use (NPOU) after surgery may represent a public health issue that adversely affects health outcomes and long-term patient survival. This study aimed to characterize the risk of NPOU relative to surgical approach among different operative procedures.

METHODS

Patients who underwent either open (open surgery [OS]) or minimally invasive (minimally invasive surgery [MIS]) pneumonectomy, pancreatectomy, and colectomy between 2013 and 2020 were identified from the IBM MarketScan database. NPOU was defined as 2 subsequent opioid refills within the first 90-day period, as well as in the following 91- to 180-day period after surgery among opioid-naive patients. Multivariate logistic regression was used to characterize the association between the surgical approach and the risk of NPOU.

RESULTS

Among 45,757 patients who underwent surgery (pneumonectomy: 7.6%; pancreatectomy: 7.1%; colectomy: 85.3%), median age was 54 years (IQR, 48-60). Most individuals were female (51.5%) and had a malignant indication (67.3%) for surgery. Overall, 50.7% of patients underwent OS, whereas 49.3% of patients underwent MIS. Subsequently, 4.8% of patients developed NPOU. The likelihood of NPOU was higher among patients who underwent OS than among individuals who underwent MIS (5.9% vs 3.6%, respectively; P < .001). Patients who underwent OS had higher 6-month total milligram equivalent doses (OS: 250 [IQR, 135-600] vs MIS: 200 [IQR, 100-421]) and days of opioid use (OS: 7 [IQR, 3-15] vs MIS: 5 [IQR, 3-10]) (both P < .001). Relative to OS, MIS was associated with 35% lower odds of NPOU (0.65; 95% CI, 0.59-0.71).

CONCLUSION

1 in 20 patients who underwent surgery experienced NPOU. MIS was associated with fewer days of opioid use and lower dosages, which translated into lower NPOU after surgery.