Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Utilization Among Sleep Surgery Clinic Patients.

OBJECTIVE

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are approved to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), yet their use in an OSA population has not been characterized. This study evaluates GLP-1 RA use in patients presenting to a sleep surgery clinic.

STUDY

DESIGN

Retrospective.

SETTING

Tertiary care institution.

METHODS

Patients with OSA who presented to our sleep surgery clinic between October 2023 and March 2025 with available sleep studies were included (n = 384). Demographic data, body mass index (BMI), apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), OSA history, GLP-1 RA prescription data, and usage details were collected through chart review. Eligibility for GLP-1 RA was defined by FDA drug labeling criteria, with diabetes, obesity, or BMI ≥ 27 kg/m² with a weight-related comorbidity.

RESULTS

The cohort had mean age 53.3 ± 14.8 years, BMI 29.4 ± 5.7 kg/m2, and AHI 28.7 ± 24.2 events/h. Most patients (52.1%) had tried CPAP. Among the full cohort (n = 384), 249 patients (64.8%) met FDA-approved drug labeling criteria for GLP-1 RA use, and there were 70 (28.1%) current GLP-1 RA users among eligible patients. Semaglutide (54.8%) and tirzepatide (27.4%) were the most prescribed. The most common reasons for discontinuing or changing GLP-1 RA types were insurance-related issues and adverse effects. Among eligible patients, having Medicaid was associated with lower likelihood of using GLP-1 RAs (adjusted odds ratio 0.25, P = .04) while BMI ≥30 kg/m2 (adjusted odds ratio 3.45, P < .001) was associated with higher likelihood.

CONCLUSION

Among sleep surgery clinic patients, a large proportion were eligible for GLP-1 RA use, and utilization was high compared to that of the general population.