Slimming Pens: Health Impacts and the Rise of Cosmetic Surgery

The rise in prescriptions of GLP‑1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro), has brought two unexpected headlines: a reduction in cardiovascular deaths among patients with severe mental disorders and a surge in demand for plastic surgery to address the sagging skin caused by rapid weight loss.

Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in Psychiatric Patients

A study published in JAMA Psychiatry analyzed electronic medical records of over 120 million people, comparing those who started GLP‑1 agonists with those who used SGLT2 inhibitors. Among patients with severe mental disorders, the four‑year mortality rate fell from 6.45 % to 4.91 %, a 24 % relative risk reduction. The benefit appeared already in the first year, with a 48 % lower risk of death, suggesting an immediate protective effect on vessels and the heart.

Specific Benefits of Semaglutide and Tirzepatide

The results were consistent only for the newer drugs in the class. Semaglutide and tirzepatide showed significant reductions in heart attacks (35 %), strokes (18 %), heart failure (27 %) and saphenous vein bypass surgeries (31 %). Older molecules such as dulaglutide and liraglutide did not show a clear advantage.

Sagging Skin and the Rise in Cosmetic Surgery

Weight losses of 20 % to 30 % in one year, typical of the use of slimming pens, leave excess skin that can cause physical discomfort and affect quality of life. Surgeon Fernando Lamana reports that, in the last two years, over 90 % of patients who come to his office have already used or are using some slimming pen, and the proportion of those seeking to treat sagging has risen from 30 % to 70 % of the demand.

Peri‑operative Care and Surgical Indication

Surgeon André Miolo stresses that plastic surgery should be planned after patient stabilization, evaluating muscle mass, nutrition, and comorbidities. GLP‑1 agonists delay gastric emptying, requiring the surgeon and anesthesiologist to know the dose and the last administration. “Peri‑operative practices are individualized. The patient must never stop or continue medication on their own,” he warns.

Most Requested Procedures

The surgeries most indicated after using slimming pens are abdominoplasty, mastopexy (with or without implants), brachioplasty, thigh lift, and body liftings. In younger patients, deep‑plane facial lifts and blepharoplasty are gaining ground, reflecting the shift in the age profile of interventions.

With information from VEJA, Revista Encontro, Medicina S/A.