Change in lifestyle<\/h2>\n Prather and colleagues retrospectively reviewed prospectively collected data from patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty between March 2022 and September 2024. Patients were triaged into two groups \u201cbased on their willingness and confidence in [behavioral] change,\u201d according to Prather.<\/p>\n
Patients interested in behavioral change were enrolled in an intensive, interprofessional, standardized lifestyle medicine program where they identified goals to achieve prior to surgery (eg, weight loss, smoking cessation) and participated in one-on-one and group programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe team members that patients chose to work with included physical therapists, exercise kinesiologists, dieticians, health coaches, counselors and smoking cessation, and we offer culinary medicine, as well,\u201d Prather said. \u201cThey picked their team members and attended group and one-on-one sessions based on their goals and created their own pathway. No one person\u2019s path looks the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patients who were not interested in behavioral change were enrolled in the selective track where they met with a physician and received information on lifestyle factors and how it relates to their musculoskeletal condition and health.<\/p>\n
Prather and colleagues found that when compared at 90 days postoperatively, patients who enacted lifestyle change had a lower rate of infection and less persistent pain compared with those in the selective group. Based on these results, Prather said implementation of a lifestyle medicine program may reduce costs and improve patient outcomes after TJA.<\/p>\n
\u201c[These results] suggest that it\u2019s not just the surgery we\u2019re doing, but the environment we\u2019re putting the prosthesis in may need to be as ideal as possible and patients\u2019 outcomes might be better,\u201d Prather said. \u201cStudy the host and not just the procedure.\u201d<\/p>\n
GLP-1 subanalysis<\/h2>\n In a subgroup analysis that compared patients who chose to take GLP-1s for weight reduction and those who did not, Prather and colleagues found the use of GLP-1s was associated with weight loss but not the other health risk benefits.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Patients on GLP-1s] did not experience reduced infection and they did not experience less persistent pain. In fact, they refilled their opioids more in the first 90 days after surgery,\u201d Prather said.<\/p>\n
According to Prather, these results suggest that surgeons should take total metabolic burden into account in addition to weight loss. She also said patients taking GLP-1s for weight loss may need to be supported differently to reduce the risk for muscle wasting and poor bone health.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to be on top of this. We\u2019re now looking into what specific programming and support patients need if they are on a GLP-1. Should we be doing body composition on every single one of them and making sure that that stays stable?\u201d Prather said.<\/p>\n
For more information:<\/h2>\n Heidi Prather, DO,<\/b> wishes to be contacted through mediarelations@hss.edu.<\/p>\n\n
\n
Published by:<\/span>\n
Sources\/Disclosures<\/h3>\n Source: <\/h2>\n Prather H, et al. Outcomes comparisons of lifestyle medicine programs implemented to reduce surgical risks. Presented at: Lifestyle Medicine Conference; Nov. 16-19, 2025; Dallas.<\/p>\n
\n
Disclosures: <\/strong>
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Ask a clinical question<\/strong> and tap into Healio AI’s knowledge<\/strong> base.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nPubMed, enrolling\/recruiting trials, guidelines<\/li>\n
<\/p>\n
Clinical Guidance, Healio CME, FDA news<\/li>\n
<\/p>\n
Healio’s exclusive daily news coverage of clinical data<\/li>\n
\n <\/ul>\n
Learn more<\/button>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Orthapedics](\"https:\/\/www.healio.com\/~\/media\/h5\/feature\/news\/publogos\/ot.svg?la=en&h=23&w=159&hash=0C53011B4A1D906E8E9D275AC6F6251E\")
\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n