Table 1.
The effects of approved long-term therapies for obesity compared to placebo on body weight and waist circumference
| Variable | Pooled weighted mean difference (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
|
| ||
| Body weight (kg) | Waist circumference (cm) | |
| Orlistat 120 mg tid* | –2.60 (–3.04 to –2.16) | –2.3 (–2.8 to –1.7) |
| Naltrexone/bupropion ER 32/360 mg qd* | –4.95 (–5.94 to –3.96) | –3.5 (–4.4 to –2.6) |
| Liraglutide 3.0 mg subQ qd* | –5.27 (–6.06 to –4.52) | –4.0 (–5.0 to –3.3) |
| Phentermine/topiramate ER 15/92 mg qd* | –8.80 (–10.20 to –7.42) | –7.0 (–8.4 to –5.6) |
| Semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly† | –11.19 (–15.12 to –7.27) | –8.8 (–11.1 to –6.56) |
*Pooled weighted mean differences (95% CI) of body weight loss and waist circumference in excess of placebo, obtained from previous meta-analysis reports11,12; †Pooled weighted mean difference (95% CI) calculated by conducting meta-analyses using R version 4.3.0 (R Core Team) and the meta package version 6.2-1, with data from STEP 1–6 and 8 trials.13-19
CI, confidence interval; tid, three times a day; ER, extended-release; qd, once daily; subQ, subcutaneous.