Effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists on body weight: a meta-analysis.
Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), approved as glucose-lowering drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, have also been shown to reduce body weight. An extensive Medline, Cochrane database, and Embase search for "exenatide," "liraglutide," "albiglutide," "semaglutide," and "lixisenatide" was performed, collecting all randomized clinical trials on humans up to December 15, 2011, with a duration of at least 24 weeks, comparing GLP-1 receptor agonists with either placebo or active drugs. Twenty two (7,859 patients) and 7 (2,416 patients) trials with available results on body weight at 6 and 12 months, respectively, were included. When compared with placebo, GLP-1RAs determine a reduction of BMI at 6 months of -1.0 [-1.3; -0.6] kg/m(2). Considering the average BMI at baseline (32.4 kg/m(2)) these data means a weight reduction of about 3% at 6 months. This result could seem modest from a clinical standpoint; however, it could be affected by many factors contributing to an underestimation of the effect of GLP-1RA on body weight, such as non adequate doses, inclusion criteria, efficacy of GLP-1RA on reducing glycosuria, and association to non-pharmacological interventions not specifically aimed to weight reduction.
Geriatric Cardiology, Careggi Teaching Hospital and University of Florence, 50141 Florence, Italy.
Matteo
M
Monami
Ilaria
I
Dicembrini
Niccolò
N
Marchionni
Carlo M
CM
Rotella
Edoardo
E
Mannucci
D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D000077270:Exenatide; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000067757:Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor; D006801:Humans; D000069450:Liraglutide; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010455:Peptides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010919:Placebos; D011786:Quality Control; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018027:Receptors, Glucagon / Q000819:agonists*; D013997:Time Factors; D014688:Venoms / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000067758:Glucagon-Like Peptide-2 Receptor
D001786:Blood Glucose; D000077270:Exenatide; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1; D000067757:Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor; D000069450:Liraglutide; D010455:Peptides; D010919:Placebos; D018027:Receptors, Glucagon; D014688:Venoms; C000593833:GLP1R protein, human; C534611:rGLP-1 protein; C479460:lixisenatide; D000067758:Glucagon-Like Peptide-2 Receptor