The scary reason you may want to stop taking drugs like Ozempic before getting surgery

The latest findings about GLP-1s may leave you feeling queasy.These blockbuster weight-loss and diabetes treatments have exploded in popularity in recent years, with about one in eight US adults saying they were taking a medication like Ozempic or Wegovy in late 2025.Now, new research suggests patients taking GLP-1s could face an increased risk of a frightening complication during surgery or in the moments after waking up.The study was presented earlier this month at the annual meeting of the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.Researchers examined the medical records of 47,039 adults who underwent elective or emergency procedures under the care of an anesthetist across the United Kingdom.

About 1,348 patients — or 2.9% — reported taking GLP-1 drugs.The team found that those patients were more likely to experience regurgitation — that is, they vomited.Most of these cases happened as patients were waking up from anesthesia, though some occurred at the start of surgery or while the procedure was underway.In all, 17 patients taking GLP-1s suffered regurgitation.

Troublingly, two of those cases progressed to aspiration, when stomach contents are accidentally inhaled into the lungs.That can be incredibly dangerous.Aspiration can cause serious lung damage, including chemical burns, severe breathing problems and aspiration pneumonia.

In the most severe cases, it can lead to low blood oxygen, lung infections, respiratory failure or a completely blocked airway.Overall, the researchers found that pulmonary aspiration and/or regurgitation occurred in about one in 71 patients taking GLP-1s.Among patients not taking the drugs, the rate was about one in 802 — roughly 11 times lower.GLP-1s mimic hormones naturally released by the gut after eating, which help regulate blood sugar, curb hunger and, importantly, slow digestion.

That means food can remain in the stomach longer rather than moving rapidly into the intestines.Anesthesia, meanwhile, relax...