Evidence synthesis · §4
Change in lean mass during pharmacologically induced weight reduction — summary of findings
Outcome-by-outcome summary with effect, certainty and the reason for each downgrade.
§4Summary of findings
§4.1Summary of findings
Table 7. Summary of findings for Change in lean mass during pharmacologically induced weight reduction.
| Outcome | Participants (studies) | Effect as reported | Certainty | Reason for downgrade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change in appendicular lean mass by DXAThe outcome the Institute designates as anchor for this indication. | 29,795 (17) | Low certainty evidence from body-composition sub-studies embedded in weight-loss trials indicates that the proportion of mass lost that is lean… | Low | inconsistency |
| Discontinuation for adverse eventsReported as a summary-of-findings row rather than in a tolerability annex, following a public submission. | 24,246 (16) | Reported per contributing trial; see the included-studies table | Low | indirectness, publication bias |
| Serious adverse eventsEvent counts are low; the estimate is imprecise by construction. | 25,043 (15) | Reported per contributing trial; see the included-studies table | Very low | risk of bias, indirectness, imprecision |
| Any adverse eventAscertained by spontaneous report in the contributing trials. | 22,256 (15) | Reported per contributing trial; see the included-studies table | Very low | risk of bias, imprecision, publication bias |
| Change in fat-free mass by MRIA secondary outcome for this indication. Its hierarchical position within each contributing trial is recorded on that trial's abstract where the Institute holds it. | 20,102 (16) | Reported as a secondary outcome in a subset of contributing trials | Very low | imprecision, publication bias |
| Grip strengthA secondary outcome for this indication. Its hierarchical position within each contributing trial is recorded on that trial's abstract where the Institute holds it. | 14,602 (16) | Reported as a secondary outcome in a subset of contributing trials | Very low | imprecision, publication bias |
| Certainty ratings describe confidence in the effect estimate for the stated outcome. They are not recommendations and do not transfer between outcomes. | ||||
§4.2Forest plot
Study estimatePooled estimate
§4.3Certainty assessment for the anchor outcome
Table 8. Reasoning recorded against each certainty domain for the anchor outcome.
| Domain | Rating | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Risk of bias | No concern | No serious concern identified in this domain. |
| Inconsistency | Very serious | Direction is consistent; magnitude varies with the intensity of the background intervention. |
| Indirectness | No concern | No serious concern identified in this domain. |
| Imprecision | No concern | No serious concern identified in this domain. |
| Publication bias | No concern | No serious concern identified in this domain. |
| Overall: Low certainty. Confidence in the effect estimate is limited. The true effect may be substantially different from the estimate. | ||
Compound Evidence Institute · CEI-ES-006/4 · https://compoundevidence.com/syntheses/lean-mass-loss-incretins/summary-of-findings/ · retrieved 30 July 2026