SynthesisFrontiers in endocrinology2022
Interventions associated with brown adipose tissue activation and the impact on energy expenditure and weight loss: A systematic review.
Synthesis in Frontiers in endocrinology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Adipose Tissue Browning in MASLD and Its Molecular Mechanisms and Metabolic Crosstalk.Current obesity reports · 2026Review
- Lifestyle Medicine for Obesity in the Era of Highly Effective Anti-Obesity Treatment.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Nutritional Influences on Brown and Beige Adipocyte: Unraveling the Molecular Mechanisms and Metabolic Implications.Food science & nutrition · 2025Review
- The Human Energy Balance: Uncovering the Hidden Variables of Obesity.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Superoxide dismutase 2 deficiency in mesenchymal stromal cells induces sympathetic denervation and functional impairment of brown adipose tissue.Pathology international · 2025Article
- Functional roles of pantothenic acid, riboflavin, thiamine, and choline in adipocyte browning in chemically induced human brown adipocytes.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Brown Adipose Tissue: A New Potential Target for Glucagon-like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists in the Treatment of Obesity.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
- Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Background: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays a role in modulating energy expenditure. People with obesity have been shown to have reduced activation of BAT. Agents such as β-agonists, capsinoids, thyroid hormone, sildenafil, caffeine, or cold exposure may lead to activation of BAT in humans, potentially modulating metabolism to promote weight loss. Methods: We systematically searched electronic databases for clinical trials testing the effect of these agents and cold exposure on energy expenditure/thermogenesis and the extent to which they may impact weight loss in adults. Results: A total of 695 studies from PubMed, Web of Science, and Medline electronic databases were identified. After the removal of duplicates and further evaluation, 47 clinical trials were analyzed. We observed significant heterogeneity in the duration of interventions and the metrics utilized to estimate thermogenesis/energy expenditure. Changes observed in energy expenditure do not correlate with major weight changes with different interventions commonly known to stimulate thermogenesis. Even though cold exposure appears to consistently activate BAT and induce thermogenesis, studies are small, and it appears to be an unlikely sustainable therapy to combat obesity. Most studies were small and potential risks associated with known side effects of some agents such as β-agonists (tachycardia), sibutramine (hypertension, tachycardia), thyroid hormone (arrhythmias) cannot be fully evaluated from these small trials. Conclusion: Though the impact of BAT activation and associated increases in energy expenditure on clinically meaningful weight loss is a topic of great interest, further data is needed to determine long-term feasibility and efficacy.
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What Socratic holds
Registered trials
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.