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Diabetes therapy

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists May Improve Clinical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Joint Replacement Surgery

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

New research published in The Journal of Arthroplasty has found that the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) may significantly improve clinical outcomes in patients with obesity or diabetes undergoing total hip and knee arthroplasty. The study, conducted by a team of researchers from Boston University, analyzed data from 13 studies and included a total of 346,899 patients. According to the research, the use of GLP-1RAs was associated with a lower risk of surgical complications, including 90-day postoperative joint infection (PJI) and revision after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), as well as improved readmission rates and reduced resource utilization.

Key Takeaways:

  • The use of GLP-1RAs was associated with a lower risk of 90-day postoperative joint infection (PJI) following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) (odds ratio (OR), 0.75; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.57 to 1.00; P = 0.047).
  • The use of GLP-1RAs was associated with a lower risk of 90-day revision following total hip arthroplasty (THA) (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.98; P = 0.034).
  • The use of GLP-1RAs was associated with a significant decrease in 90-day readmission rates for TKA and THA (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.98; P = 0.034).
  • However, the use of GLP-1RAs was also associated with an elevated risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in the setting of TKA (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.85; P = 0.02).
  • The study concluded that GLP-1RAs may be beneficial for optimizing high-risk patients who have obesity or diabetes undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA).

Statistics:

  • 346,899 patients were included in the study.
  • 13 studies were analyzed, which included data from 119,092 patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty and 227,381 patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.
  • The risk of 90-day PJI following TKA was lower with the use of GLP-1RAs (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.57 to 1.00; P = 0.047).
  • The risk of 90-day revision following THA was lower with the use of GLP-1RAs (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.98; P = 0.034).
  • The readmission rate for TKA and THA was significantly lower with the use of GLP-1RAs (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.98; P = 0.034).

Sources:

  • The Impact of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Use on Clinical Outcomes After Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 346,899 Patients. The Journal of Arthroplasty, 2025.
  • Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Churchill Livingstone Inc Medical Publishers, Curtis Center, Independence Square West, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3399, USA.

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