A single centre retrospective study of the long-term real-world body weight responses to liraglutide or bariatric surgery in adolescents with obesity

This study aims to describe weight and metabolic outcomes beyond 2 years in adolescents treated with liraglutide or bariatric surgery. This retrospective study included adolescents aged 12–17 years with obesity who were prescribed liraglutide or underwent bariatric surgery at the Qatar Metabolic Institute between 2017-2022. Outcomes included changes in hemoglobin A1C, blood pressure, cholesterol and percentage change in body mass index(BMI). Long-term data were available for 42 liraglutide-treated and 48 surgically-treated adolescents. The mean age was 15.6±1.5 years in the liraglutide group and 15.3±1.5 years in the surgery group, with baseline BMI values of 44.3±7.6 and 47.3±7.4kg/m 2 , respectively. Adolescents treated with liraglutide achieved a nadir BMI reduction of –6.4%IQR–13.7,–2.2, which attenuated to a final reduction of –5.0±16.7% after 4.3 years. The most common reasons for non-continuous use were personal choice(28%) and gastrointestinal side effects(20%). Adolescents who underwent bariatric surgery achieved a substantial nadir BMI reduction of 24.1±16.8%, which was sustained over time, with a final mean BMI reduction of 24.7±17.1% after approximately 4.6 years of follow-up. Both liraglutide treatment and bariatric surgery were associated with significant improvement in cardiometabolic risk factors. This is the first study to report outcomes with liraglutide use in adolescents with obesity extending to nearly 5 years. Our findings provide timely and practical insights into the long-term outcomes with liraglutide in the adolescent population. • This is the first study to report nearly five-year outcomes of liraglutide use in adolescents with obesity, demonstrating a clinically significant reduction in BMI. • Continuous liraglutide use was significantly associated with greater BMI reduction, reinforcing the chronic nature of obesity and the need for sustained pharmacologic treatment. • Despite being an older-generation medication, liraglutide remains a valuable option for adolescent obesity management, especially in resource-limited settings.