Healio reports on recent data presented at the American College of Lifestyle Medicine Annual Meeting by Heidi Prather, DO, physiatrist and medical director of the Lifestyle Medicine Program at HSS, that showed patients taking GLP-1s refilled their opioid prescription more often than patients not taking GLP-1s. Possible reasons can be several fold, including blunted response to pain medication in patients with metabolic disease and potential timing of restarting GLP-1s following surgery, according to Dr. Prather.

Dr. Prather also explained that rapid weight loss may lead to postoperative deep infection. While infection can be reduced by delaying continuation of GLP-1s after surgery, this is another area with mixed recommendations. 

But GLP-1s alone are not enough for long-term change, especially for patients who are unable to remain on the medications due to adverse effects, cost or lack of access, according to Dr. Prather. She said it is important for patients to be provided with the tools to enact behavioral change, such as increasing physical activity, improving nutrition, improving sleep, managing stress and having good social support.

Read the full article at Healio.com.