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‹ Thu · 9 Jul 2026
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Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for weight management in mental illness: a network meta-analysis

Semaglutide produced substantial weight loss in psychiatric patients struggling with antipsychotic-related weight gain, a genuine clinical challenge.

This network meta-analysis pooled 9 RCTs (n=595, predominantly schizophrenia) comparing GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight management in psychiatric patients with comorbid obesity, finding semaglutide QW produced the greatest weight loss (SMD -2.1) versus control with significant metabolic improvements. The estimate carries uncertainty due to sparse indirect networks and heterogeneity, but the magnitude favors semaglutide as the preferred option for antipsychotic-associated weight gain.

What the study was

Study design
network_meta_analysis
Category
cardiovascular_metabolic
Maturity
Potentially Practice-Changing
Journal
Transl Psychiatry

Why it surfaced

First NMA addressing GLP-1 RA comparative effectiveness in psychiatric patients with obesity; addresses critical gap in schizophrenia metabolic management; semaglutide result immediately actionable; Nature portfolio journal quality.

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