Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists Are Not Associated With an Increased Risk of Ileus or Intestinal Obstruction in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease-A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study

Jan Nielsen; Sonia Friedman; Bente Mertz Nørgård; Torben Knudsen; Jens Kjeldsen; Mette Wod

doi:10.1093/ibd/izae276

Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists Are Not Associated With an Increased Risk of Ileus or Intestinal Obstruction in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease-A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study

Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2024 Nov 27:izae276. doi: 10.1093/ibd/izae276. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Jan Nielsen^{1

2}, Sonia Friedman³, Bente Mertz Nørgård^{1

2}, Torben Knudsen^{4

5}, Jens Kjeldsen^{6

7}, Mette Wod^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
² Research Unit of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
³ Gastroenterology Division, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
⁴ Department of Medical Gastroenterology, Hospital of South West Jutland, Denmark.
⁵ Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.
⁶ Department of Medical Gastrointestinal Diseases, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
⁷ Research Unit of Medical Gastroenterology, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.

PMID: 39603814
DOI: 10.1093/ibd/izae276

Abstract

Background: There is a global increase in the prevalence of obesity, including among individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are potential anti-obesity medications due to their weight-lowering effects. However, concerns exist regarding ileus and intestinal obstruction as a severe side effect.

Methods: This nationwide Danish cohort study evaluates the risk of ileus and intestinal obstruction in patients with IBD receiving GLP-1RAs. Patients with IBD and their exposure to GLP-1RAs were identified using Danish health registries. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate hazard ratios for the risk of ileus and intestinal obstruction adjusted for age at diagnosis of IBD, sex, type of IBD, prior ileus or intestinal obstruction, diabetes status, steroid use, and small bowel or colon surgery.

Results: This study found that GLP-1RA exposure was not associated with an increased risk of ileus or intestinal obstruction in patients with IBD.

Conclusion: This study suggests that GLP-1RAs do not increase the risk of ileus or intestinal obstruction in patients with IBD.

Keywords: GLP-1RA; ileus; inflammatory bowel disease; intestinal obstruction; weight loss.

Plain language summary

In this nationwide cohort study, we found no association between the use of Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists and the risk of ileus or intestinal obstruction in patients with IBD.

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