Biliary and Pancreatic Safety of Incretin-Based Therapies in Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes: A Propensity-Matched Real-World Comparison of Tirzepatide, Semaglutide, and DPP-4 Inhibitors

To compare the 1-year risk of biliary/pancreatic adverse events among patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes treated with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) versus dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i), and to directly compare tirzepatide with semaglutide.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective propensity score-matched cohort study using the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network. Adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes without prior biliary or pancreatic disease were included. Two prespecified comparisons were performed: GLP-1RA (semaglutide or tirzepatide) versus DPP-4i, and tirzepatide versus semaglutide. The primary outcome was incident cholelithiasis at 1 year. Secondary outcomes included cholecystitis, cholangitis, acute pancreatitis, and cholecystectomy. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models.