The Efficacy of GLP-1 RAs in Managing Weight Loss after Bariatric Surgery: A Literature Review

Abstract

Introduction: Obesity is becoming a global concern, with a significant rise in prevalence over the last few decades. Currently the most effective treatment for severe obesity is bariatric surgery. Unfortunately, there are some patients who have insufficient weight loss (IWL) or weight regain (WR) after surgery. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are effective anti-obesity medications. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of these medications in managing weight post-bariatric surgery, including patients with IWL and WR. Methods: A literature search was conducted on PubMed and Google Scholar and 6 articles were found which met the set inclusion criteria. Results: Two articles explored the use of GLP-1 RAs as adjunct therapy to surgery. One article assessed their use in treating IWL. Three articles evaluated their use in managing WR. Discussion: The articles exploring the use of these medications as adjunct therapies found opposing results likely from the difference in study design and quality. The study opposing the use of GLP-1 RAs was of low quality, supporting the conclusion that these medications are effective as adjunct therapies. The study on IWL treatment found results supporting the use of GLP-1 RAs in a specific patient population, requiring further research to see whether these conclusions apply to a more general clinical population. Finally, the three studies on WR found similar results despite having differences in design and level of variability between participants, suggesting their common conclusion is generalizable to a wide variety of clinical settings. Conclusion: Overall, this study supports the use of these medications in managing weight after bariatric surgery.