Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 7, 2026

Generation of Hypoparathyroid Rats via Carbon-Nanoparticle-Assisted Parathyroidectomy
Published on: July 14, 2023
Decreased risk of post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia with history of GLP-1RA use
Oluwatobiloba Ayo-Ajibola1, Tyler Jung1, Diego E Razura2
1Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
Context:
Recent studies suggest glucagon-like peptide receptor-1 agonists (GLP-1RA) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) may contribute to altered calcium metabolism.
Objective:
This study examines the association between GLP-1RA/GIP-RA use and risk of post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia.
Methods:
This propensity-matched cohort study utilized the TriNetX Platform to analyze adult patients who underwent total thyroidectomy (2010 to 2024). The intervention cohort included patients with a GLP-1RA or GIP-RA prescription 1 year before thyroidectomy; the control group had no GLP-1RA/GIP-RA history. Propensity score matching controlled for demographics and relevant clinical covariates. Primary outcomes included risk of hypocalcemia at 0-1 month, 1-6 months, and 6-12 months after surgery. Using Poisson regression, odds ratios were reported (alpha = 0.05).
Results:
Among 70 665 patients, 1759 (2.59%) received a GLP-1RA or GIP-RA. Each matched cohort contained 1732 patients with similar preoperative parathyroid hormone or calcium levels. The GLP-1RA/GIP-RA cohort had a 12% lower risk of hypocalcemia from 0 to 1 month after surgery (relative risk [RR] 0.88; 95% CI: 0.81-0.97). In the sensitivity analysis considering postoperative calcitriol supplementation, recipients with GLP-1RA/GIP-RAs use were less likely to develop hypocalcemia in the month after surgery (RR 0.84; 0.74-0.96), as were those with GLP-1RA/GIP-RAs who never received calcitriol in the month after surgery (RR 0.81; 0.72-0.90). Under subgroup analysis, semaglutide was the sole agent associated with a reduced risk of hypocalcemia.
Conclusion:
Patients with a history of GLP-1RA/GIP-RA use may experience a lower risk of short-term hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy, suggesting personalized supplementation strategies may be required for this population.
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