Hormonal
Periconceptional exposure to GLP-1 receptor agonists (liraglutide or semaglutide) is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, but this risk is confined to women using the medication for diabetes treatment and is not observed in women using it for weight management.
If you are using a GLP-1 medication (like Ozempic or Saxenda) and planning pregnancy, talk to your doctor. If you have diabetes, the increased risk of early delivery is likely due to the diabetes, not the drug, so managing your blood sugar is key. If you are using it for weight loss, current large-scale data shows no increased risk of early delivery, which may help alleviate anxiety about inadvertent exposure.
This increased risk was confined to women using GLP-1 receptor agonists for diabetes treatment (liraglutide aOR 1.70, 95% CI 1.17–2.48; semaglutide aOR 1.84, 95% CI 1.24–2.71). Among women without pre-existing diabetes using these medications for weight management, no association with preterm birth was observed (liraglutide aOR 1.01, 95% CI 0.58–1.76; semaglutide aOR 0.71, 95% CI 0.30–1.70).
Why this rating
Large-scale nationwide cohort study (N=756,636) with propensity score matching, though observational design limits causal inference.
Source
Periconceptional GLP-1 receptor agonist exposure and obstetric outcomes: a Danish nationwide cohort study
Kathrine Vauvert R Hviid et al. · Human Reproduction Open · 2026
DOI 10.1093/hropen/hoag015
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
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