Weight Loss at a Cost—Sense and Sensibility

JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery·June 25

Surgery Safety signal Smell Disturbance Taste Disturbance Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Editorial / Commentary Invited Commentary GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Adult

Summary

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What was studied

This invited commentary discusses a retrospective cohort study (Zontag & Zontag) that evaluated the risk of smell and taste disturbances in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) vs. non-GLP-1 T2D medications, using the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network (>120 health care organizations, >400,000 patients per cohort).

Key findings

The GLP-1 RA cohort had a significantly increased risk of smell and taste disturbances compared to controls (HR 1.48; 95% CI, 1.37–1.61).

Study limitations

This is an invited commentary, not the primary study — full methodology, confounders, and outcome definitions are not detailed here. The underlying study is retrospective and relies on electronic health records, which are subject to coding inconsistencies and ascertainment bias.

Clinical implications

Clinicians prescribing GLP-1 receptor agonists should counsel patients about the potential risk of chemosensory disturbances (smell and taste). Otolaryngologists may see an increase in patients reporting these symptoms in the context of GLP-1 RA use.

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