Evidence mapPaperPMID 41625236Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in endocrinology2025

Inflammatory biomarker response to GLP-1 receptor agonists versus other glucose-lowering medications in patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Tariq Alrasheed, Mohamed E A Mostafa, Mohammed A Madkhali, Hesham A Khairy

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in endocrinology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
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

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Tariq AlrasheedDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Mohamed E A MostafaDepartment of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed A MadkhaliDepartment of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Hesham A KhairyDepartment of Anatomy and Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is strongly linked to chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, which drive cardiovascular complications. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) demonstrate cardioprotective benefits that may extend beyond glycemic control, but their effects on key inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers compared to other glucose-lowering medications remain inconsistently reported across individual studies. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted. Databases were searched for RCTs comparing GLP-1 RAs against other antidiabetic drugs or placebo in adults with T2D, reporting changes in inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein [CRP], interleukin-6 [IL-6], tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α]) or the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA). Data were pooled using a random-effects model, and outcomes were stratified by comparator type (placebo, insulin, other oral antidiabetic drugs [OADs]). Results: Forty RCTs (n=6029 participants) were included. GLP-1 RA therapy significantly reduced CRP levels compared to placebo (SMD = -0.59; 95% CI: -0.84 to -0.34) and other OADs (SMD = -1.06; 95% CI: -1.64 to -0.47). A significant reduction in TNF-α was observed versus placebo (SMD = -0.61; 95% CI: -0.89 to -0.32) and oral antidiabetic drugs add on (SMD = -1.62; 95% CI: -2.86 to -0.38). Data for MDA were limited and showed a non-significant trend toward reduction. GLP-1 RAs also significantly reduced IL-6 versus insulin (SMD = -0.24; 95% CI: -0.46 to -0.02). While significant heterogeneity was noted across the analyses, sensitivity analyses confirmed a consistent direction of effect, reinforcing the class-wide anti-inflammatory properties of GLP-1 RAs. Conclusion: GLP-1 RAs significantly improve key biomarkers of systemic inflammation (CRP, TNF-α) in patients with T2D compared to various active comparators and placebo. These pleiotropic effects provide a mechanistic rationale for their cardiovascular benefits and support their use as a multifaceted therapeutic strategy in T2D management. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251157476, identifier CRD420251157476.

Indexed as

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor AgonistsHypoglycemic AgentsInflammationBiomarkersC-Reactive ProteinHumansOxidative StressRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTumor Necrosis Factor-alphaBiomarkersC-Reactive ProteinGlucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor AgonistsHypoglycemic AgentsTumor Necrosis Factor-alphacrpGLP-1 RAIL-6inflammatory biomarkerMDAT2DTNF-α

Identifiers

PMID41625236
PMCPMC12852008

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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.