Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42426361›Full record

SynthesisDiabetes, obesity & metabolism2026

Efficacy and Safety of Anti-Obesity Medications for Weight Loss Maintenance in Adults With Overweight or Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.

Zhinan Chen, Ruitang Cheng, Huiying Wang, Fang Hu

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
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 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Recent Studies on the Effectiveness and Safety of Anti-Obesity Medications: A Scoping Review.Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy · 2026
    Review
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.

Zhinan ChenNational Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Ruitang ChengNational Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Huiying WangNational Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Fang HuNational Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.ORCID 0000-0002-5343-4596

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China 2022YFA0806102National Natural Science Foundation of China 82571008National Natural Science Foundation of China 91957113Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases-National Science and Technology Major Project 2024ZD0531500Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases-National Science and Technology Major Project 2024ZD0531503the Health Research Project of Hunan Provincial Health Commission W20242006
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsThis systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anti-obesity medications (AOMs) for long-term weight maintenance following initial weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity.

methodsWe searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library from inception to 31 October 2025. Eligible studies were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing AOMs with placebo during the weight-maintenance phase in adults with overweight or obesity after initial weight loss achieved through lifestyle, dietary, surgical or pharmacological interventions. Outcomes included anthropometric indices, cardiometabolic measures, safety endpoints, quality of life and neuropsychiatric adverse events. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) and odds ratios (ORs), each with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were pooled for continuous and categorical outcomes, respectively, using fixed-effect or random-effects models as appropriate. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool, and certainty of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE framework. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD420261293040).

resultsA total of 12 RCTs comprising 4915 participants met the inclusion criteria. Compared with placebo, AOM therapy during the weight-maintenance phase was associated with prevention of weight regain and additional improvements in anthropometric and cardiometabolic outcomes. AOMs led to further reductions in body weight (BW, WMD: -8.68 kg, 95% CI: -13.25 to -4.11), waist circumference (WC, WMD: -7.16 cm, 95% CI: -10.34 to -3.98) and body mass index (BMI, WMD: -3.58 kg/m

conclusionsAOM therapy during the weight-maintenance phase can help prevent weight regain, provide further reductions in body weight and improve cardiometabolic risk factors in adults with overweight or obesity. Gastrointestinal adverse events were more common with AOMs, whereas serious adverse events were not significantly increased. Further long-term trials are needed to clarify optimal treatment strategies and safety.

Indexed as

Anti-Obesity AgentsBody Weight MaintenanceObesityOverweightWeight LossAdultHumansQuality of LifeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeAnti-Obesity Agentsanti‐obesity medicationsmeta‐analysisobesityoverweightweight loss maintenance

Identifiers

PMID42426361
PMCPMC13538784

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.