Preterm Birth Up With Periconceptional GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Exposure for Diabetes

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By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

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Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on March 23, 2026.

via HealthDay

MONDAY, March 23, 2026 -- Periconceptional exposure to glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists is associated with increased odds of preterm birth among women with diabetes, according to a study published online March 18 in Human Reproduction Open.

Kathrine Vauvert R. Hviid, from Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre in Denmark, and colleagues conducted a nationwide observational cohort study using data from Danish health registries to examine the association between periconceptional GLP-1 receptor agonist exposure and the risk for obstetric complications. A total of 756,636 singleton pregnancies were analyzed among 480,231 women; 529 of the pregnancies had periconceptional GLP-1 receptor agonist exposure.

The researchers found that exposed women had higher rates of multiple obstetric complications before adjustment. Only the risk for preterm birth remained elevated for exposed women after propensity score matching. This increased risk was restricted to women using GLP-1 receptor agonists for diabetes treatment (adjusted odds ratios, 1.70 and 1.84 for liraglutide and semaglutide, respectively). No association with preterm birth was seen in association with use of these medications for weight management among women without preexisting diabetes.

"We found that these medications were associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, but the risk was only present when the medication was used for diabetes treatment, and not for weight management," Hviid said in a statement. "This suggests that the underlying condition of diabetes, rather than the medication, may be driving this association."

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2026-03-24 01:49

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