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Meta-Analysis
. 2024 May;19(5):e13113.
doi: 10.1111/ijpo.13113. Epub 2024 Mar 7.

Pharmacological interventions for the management of children and adolescents living with obesity-An update of a Cochrane systematic review with meta-analyses

Gabriel Torbahn  1   2   3 , Andrew Jones  4 , Alex Griffiths  5 , Jamie Matu  5 , Maria-Inti Metzendorf  6 , Louisa J Ells  5 , Gerald Gartlehner  7   8 , Aaron S Kelly  9 , Daniel Weghuber  2   3 , Tamara Brown  5
Affiliations
Free article
Meta-Analysis

Pharmacological interventions for the management of children and adolescents living with obesity-An update of a Cochrane systematic review with meta-analyses

Gabriel Torbahn et al. Pediatr Obes. 2024 May.
Free article

Abstract

Importance: The effectiveness of anti-obesity medications for children and adolescents is unclear.

Objective: To update the evidence on the benefits and harms of anti-obesity medication.

Data sources: Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE, ClinicalTrials.gov and WHO ICTRP (1/1/16-17/3/23).

Study selection: Randomized controlled trials ≥6 months in people <19 years living with obesity.

Data extraction and synthesis: Screening, data extraction and quality assessment conducted in duplicate, independently.

Main outcomes and measures: Body mass index (BMI): 95th percentile BMI, adverse events and quality of life.

Results: Thirty-five trials (N = 4331), follow-up: 6-24 months; age: 8.8-16.3 years; BMI: 26.2-41.7 kg/m2. Moderate certainty evidence demonstrated a -1.71 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.27 to -1.14)-unit BMI reduction, ranging from -0.8 to -5.9 units between individual drugs with semaglutide producing the largest reduction of -5.88 kg/m2 (95% CI: -6.99 to -4.77, N = 201). Drug type explained ~44% of heterogeneity. Low certainty evidence demonstrated reduction in 95th percentile BMI: -11.88 percentage points (95% CI: -18.43 to -5.30, N = 668). Serious adverse events and study discontinuation due to adverse events did not differ between medications and comparators, but medication dose adjustments were higher compared to comparator (10.6% vs 1.7%; RR = 3.74 [95% CI: 1.51 to 9.26], I2 = 15%), regardless of approval status. There was a trend towards improved quality of life. Evidence gaps exist for children, psychosocial outcomes, comorbidities and weight loss maintenance.

Conclusions and relevance: Anti-obesity medications in addition to behaviour change improve BMI but may require dose adjustment, with 1 in 100 adolescents experiencing a serious adverse event.

Keywords: adolescents; adverse events; anti‐obesity medication; body mass index; meta‐analysis; obesity.

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References

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