GLP-1 Evidence

Not medical advice. A record of published research and our assessments of it. The limits

Vagal activity related events and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists

Design
Retrospective cohort · 73138 participants · Hard outcome
Match to healthy normal-weight adults aged 55–75
Different population[Auto] Participants had type 2 diabetes and obesity/overweight (age/BMI not reported in abstract).
Could weight loss explain it?
Possibly[Auto] Participants had obesity and/or type 2 diabetes and the abstract does not separate direct drug effects from weight loss or glycaemic improvement.
Study tier
Study tier 3[Auto] Observational design; confounding by indication and healthy-user effects cannot be excluded (auto-provisional).
Assessment
Version 1 · automatic, not yet reviewed by a person · Sep 13, 2026

Study facts come from the paper. Population match, weight-loss explanation and study tier are our judgments, made against the reference group of healthy normal-weight adults aged 55–75.

[Auto, unreviewed; quoted from abstract conclusions] In nationwide cohorts of patients treated for T2DM or obesity, initiation of GLP-1 RA was not associated with an elevated risk of VAR events. Despite a proposed argumentation of vagal activity, GLP-1 RA use was not associated with an increased risk in real-life users.

01Findings

What the study reported

Drugs
Class unspecified
Primary outcome
Not extracted
Effect
Not extracted
95% confidence interval
Not extracted
Follow-up
59 years
Adverse events
Not extracted
Limitations
Auto-classified from abstract only; effect estimates, adverse events and limitations not extracted. Requires manual review.

Who was studied

Sex distribution
47% female
Obesity status
obesity/overweight present (all or most)
Diabetes status
type 2 diabetes present (all or most)
Sample size
73138

Study quality details

Study design
Retrospective cohort
Sample size
73138
Randomization
no
Blinding
not stated
Comparator
not stated
Follow up duration
59 years
Outcome type
hard
Replication
not assessed (auto)
Consistency with other evidence
not assessed (auto)
Population applicability
INDIRECT
Statistical precision
CI reported: 95% CI: 0
Risk of bias
not assessed (auto)
Funding conflicts
unclear
Peer review status
yes
02Funding

Funding and conflicts

Funding
not reported in abstract
Industry funded
Unclear
Manufacturer
None identified
Sponsor role
not reported in abstract
Author conflicts
not available in metadata
Independent replication
unknown

Funding is shown on every study and never used to score it.

04Source

The source, as retrieved

Abstract

[BACKGROUND AND AIMS] Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) carry side-effects such as dizziness and nausea related to increased vagal tone. This study investigated associations between GLP-1 RA use and the risk of vagal activity related (VAR) events. [METHODS] Using the Danish health registers, patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) first-time initiated on GLP-1 RA (exposure) or SGLT-2i (active control) were identified between January 2010 and October 2022. Standardized 1-year absolute risks of VAR events (syncope, fractures, bradyarrhythmia, or cardiac device implantation) were computed to compare risk associated with GLP-1 RA and SGLT-2i initiation. Complementary analyses in patients treated for obesity were performed as well. [RESULTS] During the study period, 50 076 and 73 138 patients with T2DM were initiated on GLP-1 RA (47% women, median age: 59 years [IQR: 50-68]) or SGLT-2i (39% women, median age: 64 years [IQR: 55-72]). Comorbidity was equally prevalent. The standardized 1-year absolute risk of syncope was 0.58% (95% CI: 0.51%-0.66%) among patients initiated on GLP-1 RA and comparable to patients initiated on SGLT-2i (0.56% [95% CI: 0.50%-0.62%]). 1-year risks of fractures, bradyarrhythmia, and cardiac device implantation were equally low and with corresponding standardized risk ratios of 0.90 (95% CI: 0.79-1.01), 0.97 (95% CI: 0.67-1.28), and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.62-1.10), respectively. No associations were found in the group treated for obesity either. [CONCLUSIONS] In nationwide cohorts of patients treated for T2DM or obesity, initiation of GLP-1 RA was not associated with an elevated risk of VAR events. Despite a proposed argumentation of vagal activity, GLP-1 RA use was not associated with an increased risk in real-life users.

Where this record came from

SourceRetrievedIdentifier
pubmedSep 13, 202642709513
first ingestion