Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonists in Obese Patients Without Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Mohamed Ali Elbashir. Roaa R; Elbashir. Azza A; Urimuke Basake. Robert R; Zakaria Ahmed Mohieldin. Amna A; I A Elhaj. Najla N; Ebrahim Mohamed Ebrahim. Fatima F; Gase Ahmed. Waad W; Abdelrahim Mohamed Mahgoub. Ola O
Key Findings
- Average weight loss of ~12.8% with GLP‑1 agonists
- Reductions in BMI (‑4.8 kg/m²), waist circumference (‑9.8 cm), systolic BP (‑6.3 mmHg) and diastolic BP (‑1.9 mmHg)
- Risk of achieving ≥5%, ≥10%, ≥15%, and ≥20% weight loss increased 3‑ to 15‑fold
- Tirzepatide showed greater effects than semaglutide
Practical Outcomes
- Semaglutide can be used as a potent, non‑diabetic weight‑loss tool, delivering roughly a 13% drop in body weight and meaningful cardio‑metabolic improvements. Expect a higher chance of hitting clinically relevant weight‑loss milestones (5‑20%). For those seeking the strongest effect, tirzepatide may be worth considering if available.
Summary
A big review of 13 trials shows that GLP‑1 drugs like semaglutide can cut body weight by about 13% in people who are overweight but don’t have diabetes, while also lowering BMI, waist size and blood pressure. The effect is strong enough that people are 3‑15 times more likely to lose at least 5‑20% of their weight compared to not using the drug. Another GLP‑1 drug, tirzepatide, worked even better than semaglutide.
Abstract
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (RAs) treat overweight or obesity with or without diabetes. This review aims to evaluate the effects of GLP-1 RAs on weight and cardiometabolic measures. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Two reviewers extracted the data and assessed the quality with the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool. Thirteen randomized controlled trials were included. We concluded that GLP-1 RAs reduced mean percentage body weight by -12.79% (95% CI: -15.12 to -10.46), BMI by -4.80 kg/m² (95% CI: -6.24 to -3.36), waist circumference by -9.78 cm (95% CI: -11.47 to -8.09), systolic blood pressure (BP) by -6.32 mmHg (95% CI: -7.92 to -4.72), and diastolic BP by -1.95 mmHg (95% CI: -3.21 to -0.69). Risk ratios for ≥5%, ≥10%, ≥15%, and ≥20% weight loss were 2.98, 5.56, 9.50, and 15.00, respectively. Tirzepatide showed greater reductions than semaglutide. GLP-1 RAs, particularly tirzepatide, achieve substantial weight loss and improve cardiometabolic risk factors.
Study Information
pubmed
2025
2025-11-02T00:00:00.000Z
10.7759/cureus.95938
25