← brief for 2026-09-04 · Slowing decline

Safety and Glycemic Efficacy of Perioperative Liraglutide in Cardiac Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Article A Peer reviewed Meta-analysis or large trial

Key takeaways

This is a pooled analysis of randomized trials, searched through September 2025, testing the GLP-1 drug liraglutide for blood sugar control around heart surgery. High blood sugar during heart surgery is tied to wound infection, sudden kidney injury and death, but the usual fix, IV insulin, can push blood sugar too low. GLP-1 drugs only lower blood sugar when it is high, so the hope is control without that danger. The kidney link here is indirect: it is heart surgery patients, not people with chronic kidney disease.

Who did this work

Gamal I · Elkasaby MH · Ewidat O · Riyad N · Sadin Z · Singh Gill A · Nassar M · Frishman WH · Aronow WS

Source

Article · PubMed, the drug frontier · 2026 Sep 4
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42693519/