Liraglutide for the Treatment of Weight Regain After Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

The efficacy of liraglutide for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity is well established, but their role in the treatment of weight regain after bariatric surgery remains unclear.

We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases in January 2024. A random-effects model was employed to compute mean differences (MD) and events per 100 observations with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for continuous and binary endpoints. Statistical analysis was performed using R software.

A total of 16 studies were included and 881 individuals. Patients were mostly female (50%), aged 36 to 55 years, with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 39.4 kg/m², and had BS surgery 5 years prior. Over a mean follow-up time ranging from 3 months to 4 years, it was observed a statistically significant reduction in BMI (MD − 8.56 kg/m²; 95% CI 3.34 to 13.79; p < 0.01) and a mean reduction in total weight (MD − 16.03 kg; 95% CI 0.03 to 32.02; p = 0.05) after liraglutide use. Additionally, 65% of patients undertaking liraglutide showed total body weight loss (BWL) above 5% (65.8 events per 100 observations; 95% CI 54.96 to 75.20; p < 0.01), while 26% lost more than 10% of total BWL (26.77 events per 100 observations; 95% CI 19.17 to 36.02; p < 0.01). A limitation is a variability between the studies.

Our findings support the use of liraglutide for weight management in patients who experience weight regain after BS. Liraglutide is well tolerated and promotes significant weight loss, providing clinicians with a therapeutic option for this clinical challenge.