Effects of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors on anthropometric indices and metabolic markers in overweight/obese individuals without diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aims To identify the impact of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on anthropometric indices and metabolic markers in individuals without diabetes who are overweight/obese.Materials and methods Clinical trials investigating the safety and efficacy of SGLT2 inhibitors in overweight or obese adults were sought in PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and EMBASE databases. The overall intervention effect was estimated using a random-effect meta-analysis. Jadad scale was used to assess the risk of bias. The heterogeneity of the studies was assessed using the Cochran's test (Q test) and I2 Index. Analyses of meta-regression were carried out to identify possible sources of heterogeneity among the trials. The analyses were all conducted using Stata, and p < .05 was set as the statistically significant level.Results Of the five clinical trials that were included in the meta-analysis, five, four, three, and two clinical trials met the eligibility criteria for evaluating the efficacy of SGLT2 inhibitors on the weight, waist circumference (WC) and blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and lipid and glucose profile, respectively. According to the results, SGLT2 inhibitors lowered BMI (WMD = −0.47 [95% CI: −0.63, −0.31]; p < .001), and WC (WMD = −3.25 [95% CI: −6.36, −0.14]; p = .04), but had no significant influence on blood pressure, lipid, and glucose profile of overweight/obese patients compared to the control groups.Conclusion The SGLT2 inhibitors appear to ameliorate some anthropometric and metabolic markers. There is, however, a limited number of studies, and further research is required for a firm conclusion.Registration code in PROSPERO CRD42022306415.