Research

Hormonal

GLP-1 receptor agonists significantly delay gastric emptying and increase residual gastric content, but do not significantly increase the absolute risk of pulmonary aspiration in standard endoscopic procedures.

If you take GLP-1s (like Ozempic or Wegovy) for an endoscopy, expect your stomach to empty slower, but know the risk of lung infection is very low. You likely do not need to stop your medication unless you have specific symptoms or high-risk procedures. Follow extended clear-liquid fasting instructions and use gastric ultrasound if available to ensure safety.

GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
GLP-1 RAs significantly increase the prevalence of clinically relevant RGC, despite prolonged fasting, with potential implications for airway protection and sedation safety. Although the risk of pulmonary aspiration remains low (≤0.15%), procedural delays, modifications, or cancellations can occur in up to 30% of cases without adapted protocols.
Javier Crespo et al. · Journal of Clinical Medicine · 2025

Why this rating

Based on large meta-analyses and observational cohorts, though heterogeneity in fasting protocols exists.

Source

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: A Narrative Review of Risks, Management Strategies, and the Need for Clinical Consensus

Javier Crespo et al. · Journal of Clinical Medicine · 2025

DOI 10.3390/jcm14155597

narrative_reviewCited 3×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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