GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Similarly Effective Across Age, Race, Starting Weight

WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) for weight loss appear to be similarly effective among adults across ages, races, and starting weights, according to a review published online March 2 in JAMA Internal Medicine.G. Caleb Alexander, M.D., from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to examine the heterogeneity of treatment effects from GLP-1 RAs on weight loss by age, sex, race and ethnicity, baseline body mass index (BMI), and baseline hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c).Based on 41 articles representing 64 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the researchers found that 21 evaluated semaglutide (43.8 percent) and nine evaluated dulaglutide (18.8 percent). Heterogeneity of treatment effects was most commonly evaluated using baseline BMI (36 RCTs), HbA1c (24 RCTs), and age (21 RCTs), and was less commonly evaluated by ethnicity (12 RCTs), race (11 RCTs), and sex (10 RCTs). Using data from six trials (19,906 patients), weight loss was greater among women (10.9 percent) than men (6.8 percent). Age did not show significant heterogeneity of treatment effects (based on seven trials; 4,314 patients), nor did race (nine trials; 25,229 patients), ethnicity (seven trials; 8,328 patients), baseline BMI (15 trials; 9,473 patients across three analyses), or baseline HbA1c (four trials; 1,886 patients)."The popularity and the cost of GLP-1 RAs are such that we need more studies like this to better understand the benefits of these products in clinical practice, especially for individuals that might be under-represented in clinical trials," Alexander said in a statement.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Similarly Effective Across Age, Race, Starting Weight

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