Original Investigation

Heterogeneity of Treatment Effects of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss in Adults

JAMA Internal Medicine 10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.8222

March 02, 2026 at 11:00 AM EST

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How heterogeneous are the treatment effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) on weight loss, by age, sex, race and ethnicity, baseline body mass index, and baseline hemoglobin A?In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 41 articles representing 64 randomized clinical trials, the efficacy of GLP-1 RAs was greater among women than men but did not otherwise differ by age, race and ethnicity, baseline body mass index, or baseline hemoglobin A.Except for the difference by sex, the efficacy of GLP-1 RAs for weight loss appears to be consistent across many important subpopulations of patients who may be eligible for treatment.

Corresponding Author: G. Caleb Alexander, MD, MS, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, W6035, Baltimore, MD 21205 (galexan9@jhmi.edu).

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