SGLT inhibitors on weight and body mass: A meta‐analysis of 116 randomized‐controlled trials

Multiple trials have demonstrated the metabolic effects of sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in patients regardless of diabetes status, and recent trials have been conducted on the combined sodium/glucose cotransporter 1 and sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT1/SGLT2) inhibitors. Therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the weight reduction effects and dose-response relationship of SGLT inhibitors and to assess the relative efficacy of SGLT1/SGLT2 inhibitors.Four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Scopus) were searched on November 21, 2020, for articles published from January 1, 2000, up to November 21, 2020.In total, 116 randomized-controlled trials were included, with a combined cohort of 98,497 patients. Overall, patients had a mean weight reduction of -1.79 kg (95% CI: -1.93 to -1.66, p0.001) compared with placebo. This effect was observed across diabetes status, duration of follow-up, various comorbidities, and all SGLT drug types. Mean BMI changes were -0.71 kg/mSGLT inhibitors demonstrated weight reduction benefits in this meta-analysis. Further studies are needed to clarify their role in weight management.