Evidence mapPaperPMID 28759403Full record

Trial reportPediatrics2017

Metformin for Obesity in Prepubertal and Pubertal Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Belén Pastor-Villaescusa, M Dolores Cañete, Javier Caballero-Villarraso, Raúl Hoyos, Miriam Latorre, Rocío Vázquez-Cobela, Julio Plaza-Díaz, José Maldonado, Gloria Bueno, Rosaura Leis and 3 more

Erratum issuedAbstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Pediatrics, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 29 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
29citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
5.5field-weighted citation impact, top 3% 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.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · 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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

29 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 77 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. A Systemic Review of Pharmacological Management of Pediatric Obesity.Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences · 2025
    Review
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Review
  17. Review
  18. Adolescent obesity treatments: news, views, and evidence.Archives of endocrinology and metabolism · 2021
    Review
  19. Review
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 7 institutions in 1 country.

Belén Pastor-VillaescusaDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Center for Biomedical Research, University of Granada, Granada. Spain.
M Dolores CañetePAIDI CTS-329, Maimonides Institute of Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain.
Javier Caballero-VillarrasoClinical Analysis Services, IMIBIC/Reina Sofía Hospital, Córdoba University, Córdoba, Spain.
Raúl HoyosPediatric Department and.
Miriam LatorreHealth Sciences Institute in Aragon, Zaragoza, Spain.
Rocío Vázquez-CobelaUnit of Investigation in Nutrition, Growth and Human Development of Galicia, Pediatric Department, Clinic University Hospital of Santiago, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Julio Plaza-DíazDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Center for Biomedical Research, University of Granada, Granada. Spain.
José MaldonadoPediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit, Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Andalusian Health Service, Granada, Spain.
Gloria BuenoCIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain.
Rosaura LeisCIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain.
Ángel GilDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Center for Biomedical Research, University of Granada, Granada. Spain.
Ramón CañeteCIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain.
Concepción M AguileraDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Center for Biomedical Research, University of Granada, Granada. Spain; caguiler@ugr.es.
Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red · ESHospital Universitario Reina Sofía · ESAndalusian Health Service · ESInstituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Granada · ESInstituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón · ESInstituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba · ESUniversidade de Santiago de Compostela · ES

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesMetformin has shown its effectiveness in treating obesity in adults. However, little research has been conducted in children, with a lack of attention on pubertal status. The objectives were to determine whether oral metformin treatment reduces BMI

methodsThis was a randomized, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, stratified according to pubertal stage and sex, conducted at 4 Spanish clinical hospitals. Eighty prepubertal and 80 pubertal nondiabetic children who were obese aged 7 to 14 years with a BMI >95th percentiles were recruited. The intervention included 1 g/d of metformin versus placebo for 6 months. The primary outcome was a reduction in BMI

resultsA total of 140 children completed the study (72 boys). Metformin decreased the BMI

conclusions“Metformin decreased the BMI z score and improved inflammatory and cardiovascular-related obesity parameters only in prepubertal children, but a differential effect of metformin was not observed in prepubertal compared to pubertal children. Nevertheless, the doses per kilogram of weight administrated may have had an impact on the metformin effect. Further investigations are necessary.”

Indexed as

AdolescentBiomarkersBody Mass IndexCardiovascular DiseasesChildDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansInflammationMaleMetforminPediatric ObesityProspective StudiesPubertySex FactorsBiomarkersMetformin

Identifiers

PMID28759403
OpenAlexW2625070420

What Socratic holds

Texttitle and abstract
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.