@article{10.37349/eemd.2026.101458,
abstract = {This commentary discusses a recent article (J Diabetes 2025;17(3):e70063), focusing on interpreting the study’s sex-stratified results in a broader clinical and mechanistic context. The authors of this systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 randomized trials demonstrate that women achieve greater weight loss induced by glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists compared to men (mean difference of 1.04 kg or 1.69%). Analyses specific to different drugs consistently show that women benefit more from dulaglutide, liraglutide, semaglutide, and retatrutide, with trials focused on obesity further emphasizing this gap. Sensitivity analyses confirm the reliability of these findings and indicate the absence of publication bias. We discuss the clinical implications of these results, suggesting that healthcare providers should consider sex differences when counseling, monitoring, and dosing patients. We also advocate for future trials that are adequately powered and stratified by sex to evaluate factors such as adherence, adverse events, and body composition. Mechanistic hypotheses, such as sex-related pharmacokinetics, estrogen-GLP-1 synergy, and varying inflammatory responses, should be investigated further to inform precision dosing. Lastly, we recommend that regulatory agencies revisit current labeling, which claims no sex differences, as more sex-stratified evidence becomes available. It is important to acknowledge the existing heterogeneity and remaining uncertainties in this area of research.},
author = {Weiskirchen, Ralf and Lonardo, Amedeo},
doi = {10.37349/eemd.2026.101458},
journal = {Exploration of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases},
elocation-id = {101458},
title = {Treating obesity with GLP-1 RAs: does sex matter? A commentary on the meta-analysis by Yang et al. (J Diabetes 2025;17(3):e70063)},
url = {https://www.explorationpub.com/Journals/eemd/Article/101458},
volume = {3},
year = {2026}
}