Research

Hormonal

GLP-1 agonists (specifically liraglutide and exenatide) induce significant weight loss in patients with antipsychotic-induced weight gain (AIWG) without worsening psychiatric symptoms.

For patients gaining weight from antipsychotics, GLP-1 agonists like liraglutide or exenatide are effective tools for weight loss. Liraglutide shows stronger results (-4.7 kg) than exenatide (-2.5 kg). These drugs do not worsen mental health symptoms, making them safe adjuncts to antipsychotic therapy. Side effects like nausea are common but usually manageable.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
The GLP-1 agonists exenatide and liraglutide are promising drugs for inducing weight loss in patients with AIWG. The adverse effects are acceptable, and the addition of GLP-1 does not increase the severity of psychopathology.
Maarten Bak et al. · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica · 2024

Why this rating

Meta-analysis of 6 studies (5 RCTs, 1 cohort) with moderate heterogeneity; limited long-term data.

Source

Glucagon‐like peptide agonists for weight management in antipsychotic‐induced weight gain: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Maarten Bak et al. · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica · 2024

DOI 10.1111/acps.13734

Meta-analysis · 6 studiesCited 37×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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