SynthesisMedicine2026
GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Medicine, 2026. The graph read 1 number from its abstract, feeding 1 cell of the map: it supports the treatment in 1. Cited by 5 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.
Across 16 placebo-controlled trials, a higher proportion of participants achieved weight loss with GLP- 1-based agents than with placebo: 78.54% (3231/4114) versus 26.53% (772/2910); pooled odds ratio: 11.37 (95% confidence interval: 8.10-15.98), P < .0001; I2 = 82%.
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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.
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.
This paper's own estimate is on a different scale from the rest of the cell, so it is not drawn here.
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
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Changes in food cravings, dietary quality, body composition, and dietary intake during GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy: The CRAVE study.Obesity pillars · 2026Article
- Resolution of anhedonia-like symptoms in patients treated for obesity with tirzepatide: A three-case series.Obesity pillars · 2026Article
- External Validation of SELECT Trial-Derived Cardiovascular Risk Equations in a UK Population with Overweight or Obesity and Established Cardiovascular Disease Without Diabetes.PharmacoEconomics · 2026Article
- Discontinuation of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists among US adults: A national survey.Journal of managed care & specialty pharmacy · 2026Article
- Effectiveness, safety, and treatment patterns of GLP-1 receptor agonists in adolescents with obesity: a multicenter retrospective study from Saudi Arabia.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The marked sentences are the ones the graph read a number from.
backgroundObesity is a complex condition marked by excessive body fat, linked to comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, initially developed for diabetes, are increasingly used for weight management.
methodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (PubMed, last 5 years, English language) evaluating GLP-1-based pharmacotherapies versus placebo or active comparators for weight loss. The primary endpoint was the proportion of participants achieving any weight loss during follow-up. Pooled odds ratios were estimated using a fixed-effect model with 95% confidence intervals; heterogeneity was quantified with I2. A frequentist network meta-analysis generated SUCRA rankings. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines. No protocol was registered.
resultsTwenty-one trials met the inclusion criteria (n = 7024 in pairwise analyses). Across 16 placebo-controlled trials, a higher proportion of participants achieved weight loss with GLP- 1-based agents than with placebo: 78.54% (3231/4114) versus 26.53% (772/2910); pooled odds ratio: 11.37 (95% confidence interval: 8.10-15.98), P < .0001; I2 = 82%. In the network meta-analysis, tirzepatide and semaglutide ranked highest (surface under the cumulative ranking curve 91.2% and 85.4%, respectively).
conclusionGLP-1 receptor agonists significantly increase the likelihood of weight loss versus placebo, with tirzepatide and semaglutide demonstrating the greatest relative efficacy among agents evaluated. These findings support GLP-1-based therapy as an effective component of clinical obesity management.
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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.