WeightControl.com: What are the main findings?
Response: Our study identified 12 agents; 3 which are FDA-approved for chronic weight management (liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide) and 9 pre-market agents. Use of liraglutide led to around 6% weight loss of total baseline bodyweight, semaglutide around 15%, and tirzepatide around 18% when compared to placebo. Notably, the greatest placebo-subtracted weight loss was seen in a trial of retatrutide (around 22%), a triple agonist- meaning it targets three pathways involved in appetite and metabolism (GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon).
In terms of safety, we found most side effects were GI-related (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation), but these were transient (mainly present during dose escalation), and mild-to-moderate in severity. The majority of participants did not discontinue treatment because of these GI side effects. More serious side effects were rare (reported at less than 3% in trials).
WeightControl.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: GLP-1 receptor agonists are efficacious and safe when used for weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity and without diabetes.
WeightControl.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?
Response: Since there is a lack of head-to-head trials on these agents, future research should explore their comparative efficacy (e.g. semaglutide vs. tirzepatide vs. retatrutide).
WeightControl.com: Is there anything else you would like to add? Any disclosures?
Response: GLP-1 receptor agonists are now being studied in obesity-related conditions, such as fatty liver disease, obstructive sleep apnea, polycystic ovary syndrome, etc. We are interested in seeing their role expand beyond glycemic control and weight loss.
No disclosures to add.
Citation:
Areesha Moiz, Kristian B. Filion, Helia Toutounchi, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss Among Adults Without Diabetes: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Ann Intern Med. [Epub 7 January 2025]. doi:10.7326/ANNALS-24-01590
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Last Updated on January 13, 2025 by weightcontrol