COIOS
Healthcare today Item confirms peer-reviewed

GLP-1 drugs cut weight by 6.7 kg in antipsychotic-treated patients in eight small trials

A meta-analysis of eight randomised trials in 664 patients taking antipsychotics found GLP-1 receptor agonists reduced body weight by 6.74 kg, BMI by 2.37 kg/m² and HbA1c by 0.61 percentage points, with semaglutide the largest effect and more gastrointestinal adverse events.

Eight randomised trials totalling 664 patients with schizophrenia spectrum or bipolar disorder treated with antipsychotics were pooled to assess adjunctive GLP-1 receptor agonists. Weight fell by 6.74 kg (95% CI -10.05 to -3.43), BMI by 2.37 kg/m² and HbA1c by 0.61 points; semaglutide subgroups showed the largest weight reduction at 11.06 kg. Overall and serious adverse events did not differ from control, but gastrointestinal events were more frequent.

Why it is interesting: Antipsychotic-treated populations carry one of the largest life-expectancy deficits of any patient group, and this is the first pooled randomised evidence on whether incretin drugs shift their cardiometabolic risk, albeit on surrogate endpoints in small, short trials.

Source
Journal of psychopharmacology, 2026-09-16
DOI
10.1177/02698811261478625
Type
Peer-reviewed article
Design
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 8 randomised trials, 664 patients, searched to May 2026
Verdict
Confirms prior evidence
Driver
Obesity, diabetes and the GLP-1 drugs