Evidence mapPaperPMID 42310900Full record

SynthesisDiabetes, obesity & metabolism2026

Pharmacotherapy for Children and Adolescents With Overweight or Obesity: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Li Luo, Tingting Huang, Zijing Yan, Yunyun Qi, Qige Wei, Hui Wang, Nan Liu, Yongli Xuan, Yixiong Chen, Jianglin Zhao and 3 more

Abstract readNetwork Meta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Diabetes, obesity & metabolism, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
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

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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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

13 authors.

Li LuoDepartment of Pharmacy, Central Hospital of Karamay, Karamay, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6251-4857
Tingting HuangDepartment of Pharmacy, Central Hospital of Karamay, Karamay, China.
Zijing YanDepartment of Pharmacy, Central Hospital of Karamay, Karamay, China.
Yunyun QiDepartment of Pharmacy, Central Hospital of Karamay, Karamay, China.
Qige WeiDepartment of Pharmacy, Central Hospital of Karamay, Karamay, China.
Hui WangDepartment of Pharmacy, Central Hospital of Karamay, Karamay, China.
Nan LiuDepartment of Gastrointestinal and Hernia Surgery, Central Hospital of Karamay, Karamay, China.
Yongli XuanDepartment of Pediatrics, Central Hospital of Karamay, Karamay, China.
Yixiong ChenCollege of Basic Medical Sciences, Second Xinjiang Medical College, Karamay, China.
Jianglin ZhaoDepartment of Pharmacy, Central Hospital of Karamay, Karamay, China.
Chengyu XinDepartment of Pharmacy, Central Hospital of Karamay, Karamay, China.
Rui HuDepartment of Pharmacy, Central Hospital of Karamay, Karamay, China.
Shengzhao ZhangDepartment of Pharmacy, Central Hospital of Karamay, Karamay, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8681-7403

Funding

Central Hospital of KaramayThe Second Group of Tianshan Talent Training Program 2023TSYCQNTJ0029
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsThe escalating global prevalence of childhood and adolescent overweight and obesity constitutes a pressing public health issue. This network meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of pharmacologic interventions as adjuncts to lifestyle therapy in this population. MATERIALS AND

methodsRandomized controlled trials (RCTs) were sourced from systematic searches of PubMed, Embase (using the OVID platform), the Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), and ClinicalTrials.gov from database inception to July 28, 2025. A frequentist network meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model. We used the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) approach to evaluate the overall certainty of evidence and categorized the interventions.

resultsA total of 41 RCTs (N = 3923) were included. Compared with lifestyle modification alone, semaglutide produced the largest reduction in the 95th BMI percentile (MD -20.40%, 95% CI -24.22 to -16.58), with an additional 500 and 399 patients per 1000 person-years achieving ≥ 5% and ≥ 10% BMI reduction, respectively. Phentermine-topiramate showed the next largest reduction (MD -18.35%, 95% CI -22.26 to -14.45), corresponding to 554 and 734 additional responders per 1000 person-years. Liraglutide and exenatide also significantly reduced the 95th BMI percentile compared with lifestyle modification alone, although the reductions were smaller than those achieved with semaglutide and phentermine-topiramate.

conclusionsBoth semaglutide and phentermine-topiramate were closely linked to weight management, and phentermine-topiramate, with its favourable tolerability, may serve as the optimal adjunct to lifestyle interventions.

Indexed as

Anti-Obesity AgentsPediatric ObesityAdolescentBody Mass IndexChildExenatideHumansLiraglutideOverweightPhentermineRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSemaglutideTopiramateWeight LossAnti-Obesity AgentsExenatideLiraglutidePhentermineSemaglutideTopiramateadolescentschildrennetwork meta‐analysispharmacotherapyweight management

Identifiers

PMID42310900
PMCPMC13448963

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
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.