EU Cites Anesthesia Risks for Weight-Loss and Diabetes Drugs

European health authorities said patients due to undergo surgery should be warned of a risk of anesthesia complications if they’re being treated with diabetes and weight-loss drugs from Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly & Co.

The safety committee of the European Medicines Agency advised patients treated with GLP-1 drugs to inform their doctor before undergoing surgeries with general anesthesia or deep sedation and said product information will be updated accordingly. There is a “biologically plausible risk” of aspiration of stomach contents for patients under anesthesia and taking such medication, the agency said, even though it didn’t find a “causal association.”