JAMA Intern Med

Women see greater weight loss response to GLP-1s, meta-analysis finds

March 4, 2026

A systematic review of 64 randomized trials (~19,900 patients in sex‑stratified trials) found that women lost more weight on GLP‑1 RAs than men (10.9% vs. 6.8%), while age, race, ethnicity, baseline BMI, and HbA1c showed no significant heterogeneity of treatment effect. Across semaglutide, dulaglutide, and other GLP‑1 RAs, weight‑loss efficacy was otherwise consistent across subgroups.

Clinical takeaway: When initiating GLP‑1 RAs for obesity, set expectations that weight‑loss response varies widely, and reassess therapy early to ensure patients are deriving meaningful benefit.

Source:

Alexander GC, et al. (2026, March 2). JAMA Intern Med. Heterogeneity of Treatment Effects of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41770554/