Women May Lose More Weight Than Men on GLP-1 Agonists

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are highly effective medications for managing type 2 diabetes and obesity, leading to significant weight reduction and improved metabolic health. While their overall efficacy is well-established, there's a growing interest in understanding how individual factors might influence treatment outcomes. This study addresses the specific knowledge gap of whether the efficacy of GLP-1 RAs for weight reduction differs significantly between biological sexes.

The meta-analysis confirmed that GLP-1 receptor agonists consistently lead to significant weight loss across the patient population. However, a notable and statistically significant sex difference in efficacy was identified. > Women experienced a 2.8 kg greater mean weight reduction compared to men when treated with GLP-1 RAs (pooled mean difference: -2.8 kg, 95% CI: -3.5 to -2.1 kg, p<0.001). This translates to women achieving an average of 7.5% body weight loss compared to 5.0% in men, representing a 2.5% greater percentage reduction in females (p<0.001). The observed sex difference remained consistent across various types of GLP-1 RAs and different treatment durations, suggesting a robust effect. While generally well-tolerated, women reported slightly higher rates of gastrointestinal adverse events, such as nausea (31% vs. 25% in men, p=0.02).