Liraglutide, a
glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist, has been shown to have beneficial effects on fecal output in
short bowel syndrome (SBS) by small human studies. Its potential effects early after gut resection are not known. In this pilot observational study, we described the 1- and 6-month
liraglutide effects in 19 adult patients with a new SBS diagnosis within 1 month after surgical resection. Stomal/fecal and urinary outcomes, serum/urinary
electrolytes, and body composition were assessed. Both within-group differences and between-group comparisons with 20 SBS patients refusing
liraglutide treatment were evaluated. The main
liraglutide-related side effect was mild
nausea, except in one patient, who experienced severe
nausea/
vomiting. The median
ostomy/fecal output was significantly reduced by -550 mL/day after 6 months of treatment (vs. -200 mL/day in untreated, p = 0.04). The number of patients reaching a ≥20% output reduction was 10/19 (52.6%) treated vs. 3/20 (15.0%) untreated patients (p = 0.013) at 1 month and 12/19 (63.2%) vs. 6/20 (30.0%) (p = 0.038) at 6 months, respectively. Participants with a clinically relevant output reduction at 6 months had a significantly lower baseline weight and BMI. Energy parenteral supply significantly decreased, while infused volumes, oral energy, and fluid intakes slightly decreased, though not significantly. This pilot study supports
liraglutide benefits in
ostomy/fecal output early after surgical gut resection in SBS patients, particularly in those with lower baseline weight values.