SynthesisJournal of diabetes research2015

Effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists on weight loss in patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Feng Sun, Sanbao Chai, Lishi Li, Kai Yu, Zhirong Yang, Shanshan Wu, Yuan Zhang, Linong Ji, Siyan Zhan

Open access · goldFull text readSystematic ReviewNetwork Meta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of diabetes research, 2015. The graph read 5 numbers from its abstract, feeding 4 cells of the map: it supports the treatment in 1, favours the comparator in 1. Cited by 43 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

5numbers the graph read from it
2cells of the map it votes in
43citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
9.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

← favours the treatmentfavours the comparator →
-12.80 · no effect
Body weight & compositionfavours the treatment · against placebo · t2d, obesityfeeds one cell of the map
reduction -5.30-6.38 to -4.24
The weight reduction significantly ranged from -5.30 kg (95% CI: -6.38, -4.24) to -2.21 kg (95% CI: -3.59, -0.83) with exenatide and from -4.35 kg (95% CI: -5.45, -3.24) to -2.21 kg (95% CI: -3.92, -0.53) with liraglutide.
Body weight & compositionfavours the treatment · against placebo · t2d, obesityfeeds one cell of the map
Δ -1.07-2.41 to -0.02
Exenatide 10 μg twice daily (EX10BID) reduced weight compared with exenatide 5 μg twice daily (EX5BID), liraglutide 0.6 mg once daily (LIR0.6QD), liraglutide-1.2 mg once daily (LIR1.2QD), and placebo treatment, with mean differences of -1.07 kg (95% CI: -2.41, -0.02), -2.38 kg (95% CI: -3.71, -1.06), -1.62 kg (95% CI: -2.79, -0.43), and -1.92 kg (95% CI: -2.61, -1.24), respectively.
Hypoglycaemiafavours the treatment · against placebo · t2d, obesityfeeds one cell of the map
reduction -7.30-12.8 to -1.78
GLP-1 RAs achieved a greater weight loss than traditional hypoglycemic drugs; the range of weight reduction was -7.30 kg (95% CI: -12.82, -1.78)~-1.38 kg (95% CI: -1.74, -1.03) with exenatide and -3.12 kg (95% CI: -3.80, -2.44)~-1.40 kg (95% CI: -1.95, -0.85) with liraglutide, respectively.

Read, but not usablea number the graph found but could not read as for or against

Hypoglycaemiadirection of benefit for this outcome is not defined · head-to-head · t2d, obesityfeeds one cell of the map
decrease -1.38-1.74 to -1.03
Compared with placebo, EX10BID and LIR1.8QD decreased body weight by -1.38 kg (95% CI: -1.74, -1.03) and -1.32 kg (95% CI: -2.22, -0.43), respectively, while there was a statistically significant weight gain observed in the traditional hypoglycemic drugs (insulin, SU, and TZD) compared with placebo, with mean differences of 2.02 kg (95% CI: 1.02, 3.02), 2.03 kg (95% CI: 0.91, 3.15), and 2.20 kg (95% CI: 1.54, 2.86), respectively.
Glycemic controldirection of benefit for this outcome is not defined · head-to-head · t2d, obesityfeeds one cell of the map
reduction -1.92-2.61 to -1.24
As displayed in the preceding pairwise meta-analysis, we found EX10BID and LIR1.8QD were associated with a significant reduction in body weight versus placebo, with mean differences of -1.92 kg (95% CI: -2.61, -1.24) and -0.98 kg (95% CI: -1.94, -0.02), respectively, while treatment with insulin, SU, and TZD resulted in significant weight gain versus placebo (range from 2.60 kg (95% CI: 1.56, 3.62) to 3.37 kg (95% CI: 2.29, 4.48)).

clause the extractor read what became the number

2 · Its place on the map

Where it lands on the map

Rows are treatments, columns are outcomes. The coloured squares are the cells this paper feeds, coloured by the vote it casts there. Click one to jump to what this paper adds to it.

supports the treatmentfavours the comparatorno clear differenceread, but no usable result
3 · What it changes

What it adds to each cell

For every cell the paper feeds: the belief in the claim with and without this paper, and this paper's estimate drawn against every other readable study in the cell. The ringed dot is this paper.

GLP-1 receptor agonists×body weight & composition

SupportsOpen on the map →What to test next →

40 readable studies in this cell: 83 favour the treatment, 15 find no difference, 11 favour the comparator.

Belief with this paper
0.90replicated · 64 families support, 7 contradict · against placebo
Without itNot a counted family in this claim, so removing it changes nothing.
← favours the treatmentfavours the comparator →
0 · no effect
NCT012722193,731 enrolled · 2011
Δ -5.39-5.82 to -4.95
Δ -17.3-18.1 to -16.6
NCT017204463,297 enrolled · 2013
Δ -2.95-3.47 to -2.44
NCT035489351,961 enrolled · 2018
Δ -12.4-13.4 to -11.5
NCT039879191,879 enrolled · 2019
Δ -1.70-2.60 to -0.70
NCT026078651,864 enrolled · 2016
Δ -2.50-3.00 to -2.00
NCT056467061,407 enrolled · 2023
Δ -14.8-16.2 to -13.4
NCT018365231,398 enrolled · 2013
Δ -4.90-5.65 to -4.16
NCT035527571,210 enrolled · 2018
Δ -6.21-7.28 to -5.15
NCT007344741,202 enrolled · 2008
Δ -1.50-2.08 to -0.92
Δ -10.4-11.2 to -9.50
NCT020581471,170 enrolled · 2014
Δ 14.38.37 to 20.3

This paper's own estimate is on a different scale from the rest of the cell, so it is not drawn here.

GLP-1 receptor agonists×hypoglycaemia

ContradictsOpen on the map →What to test next →

11 readable studies in this cell: 2 favour the treatment, 3 find no difference, 6 favour the comparator.

Belief with this paper
0.50contested · 3 families support, 1 contradict · against placebo
Without itNot a counted family in this claim, so removing it changes nothing.
← favours the treatmentfavours the comparator →
1 · no effect
NCT018365231,398 enrolled · 2013
IRR 1.311.07 to 1.59
NCT02607306819 enrolled · 2015
Treatment contrast 0.480.35 to 0.68
NCT00393718400 enrolled · 2006
IRR 0.200.12 to 0.35
NCT02152371300 enrolled · 2014
OR 4.172.32 to 7.47
NCT04591626291 enrolled · 2020
OR 4.582.64 to 7.95
NCT05564039282 enrolled · 2022
OR 20.48.40 to 49.8
NCT01620489279 enrolled · 2012
OR 3.942.12 to 7.30

This paper's own estimate is on a different scale from the rest of the cell, so it is not drawn here.

Insulin×hypoglycaemia

No readable resultOpen on the map →What to test next →

4 readable studies in this cell: 2 favour the treatment, 1 find no difference, 1 favour the comparator.

Belief with this paper
0.00contested · 0 families support, 3 contradict · head-to-head
Without itNot a counted family in this claim, so removing it changes nothing.
← favours the comparatorfavours the treatment →
1 · no effect
NCT045379231,428 enrolled · 2020
OR 8.195.66 to 11.8
NCT02551874650 enrolled · 2015
OR 0.400.30 to 0.62

This paper's own estimate is on a different scale from the rest of the cell, so it is not drawn here.

Insulin×glycemic control

No readable resultOpen on the map →What to test next →

40 readable studies in this cell: 15 favour the treatment, 14 find no difference, 14 favour the comparator.

Belief with this paper
0.50contested · 9 families support, 6 contradict · against placebo
Without itNot a counted family in this claim, so removing it changes nothing.
← favours the comparatorfavours the treatment →
0 · no effect
NCT036893742,274 enrolled · 2018
Δ -0.29-0.38 to -0.20
NCT037306622,002 enrolled · 2018
Δ -0.99-1.13 to -0.86
NCT013360231,663 enrolled · 2011
Treatment contrast -0.64-0.75 to -0.53
NCT038829701,444 enrolled · 2019
Δ -0.86-1.00 to -0.72
NCT045379231,428 enrolled · 2020
Δ -1.10-1.24 to -0.97
NCT032680051,264 enrolled · 2017
Δ -0.04-0.11 to 0.03
NCT020581471,170 enrolled · 2014
Δ -0.78-0.90 to -0.67
NCT021289321,089 enrolled · 2014
Δ -0.81-0.96 to -0.67
NCT009606611,036 enrolled · 2009
Δ -0.04-0.18 to 0.11
NCT00856986987 enrolled · 2009
Δ -0.52-0.68 to -0.36
NCT01117350978 enrolled · 2010
Δ 2.54-3.88 to 8.93
NCT03214380933 enrolled · 2017
Δ 0.06-0.05 to 0.16

This paper's own estimate is on a different scale from the rest of the cell, so it is not drawn here.

4 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

5 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

43 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 97 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Trial
  6. Trial
  7. Trial
  8. Trial
  9. Trial
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Evaluating the potential of metabolic drugs in obstructive sleep apnea and obesity: a narrative review.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2025
    Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Review
  19. Review
  20. Economic analysis of glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonists from the Saudi Arabia payer perspective.Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2022
    Article
6 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

7 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Feng SunDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China ; Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832002, China.
Sanbao ChaiDepartment of Physiology, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Lishi LiDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China ; Department of Statistics, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
Kai YuDepartment of Orthopedics, Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital, Tianjin 300450, China.
Zhirong YangDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China ; Shantou-Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China.
Shanshan WuDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China.
Yuan ZhangDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China.
Linong JiDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, People's Hospital, Peking University, Beijing 100044, China.
Siyan ZhanDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Centre, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China.
Peking University · CNCapital Medical University · CNFifth Tianjin Central Hospital · CNShihezi University · CN

Funding

Wellcome Trust 089276
8 · The paper itself

Abstract

The marked sentences are the ones the graph read a number from.

To evaluate the effectiveness of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) on weight reduction in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (Type 2 DM), a network meta-analysis was conducted. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from 1950 to October 2013. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving GLP-1 RAs were included if they provided information on body weight. A total of 51 RCTs were included and 17521 participants were enrolled. The mean duration of 51 RCTs was 31 weeks. Exenatide 10 μg twice daily (EX10BID) reduced weight compared with exenatide 5 μg twice daily (EX5BID), liraglutide 0.6 mg once daily (LIR0.6QD), liraglutide-1.2 mg once daily (LIR1.2QD), and placebo treatment, with mean differences of -1.07 kg (95% CI: -2.41, -0.02), -2.38 kg (95% CI: -3.71, -1.06), -1.62 kg (95% CI: -2.79, -0.43), and -1.92 kg (95% CI: -2.61, -1.24), respectively. Reductions of weight treated with liraglutide-1.8 mg once daily (LIR1.8QD) reach statistical significance (-1.43 kg (95% CI: -2.73, -0.15)) versus LIR1.2QD and (-0.98 kg (95% CI: -1.94, -0.02)) versus placebo. Network meta-analysis found that EX10BID, LIR1.8QD, and EX2QW obtained a higher proportion of patients with weight loss than other traditional hypoglycemic agents. Our results suggest GLP-1 RAs are promising candidates for weight control in comparison with traditional hypoglycemic drugs, and EX10BID, LIR1.8QD, and EX2QW rank the top three drugs.

Indexed as

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2Drug Administration ScheduleExenatideGlucagon-Like Peptide 1Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 ReceptorHumansHypoglycemic AgentsInsulinLiraglutideObesityOverweightPeptidesRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicReceptors, GlucagonVenomsWeight LossExenatideGLP1R protein, humanGlucagon-Like Peptide 1Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 ReceptorHypoglycemic AgentsInsulinLiraglutidePeptidesReceptors, GlucagonVenoms

Identifiers

PMID25688373
PMCPMC4320855
OpenAlexW2079082256

What Socratic holds

Textfull text, public
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.