Yuan Zeng | PubMed Health

PubMed2026

Efficacy and Safety of Bimagrumab in Adults With Obesity and Metabolic Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

AIMS: This study aims to systematically evaluate the efficacy of bimagrumab on body composition and glucose parameters in adults with obesity and metabolic dysfunction and its safety profile. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library on April 20, 2026, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing bimagrumab treatment in adults with obesity, insulin resistance, or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool (RoB 2), and meta-analyses of efficacy and safety data were conducted using R software. The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system was used to assess the strength of evidence. The study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD420261377110). RESULTS: Of the 134 retrieved records, 4 RCTs (enrolling 268 participants) were included. The included population represented a broad spectrum of metabolic dysfunction, from obesity and nondiabetic insulin resistance to established T2DM. Compared with placebo, bimagrumab treatment significantly reduced total weight (mean difference [MD] -4.85 kg, 95% confidence interval [CI] -6.82 to -2.88), fat mass (-4.72 kg [-8.05 to -1.40]), and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) (-0.13% [-0.23 to -0.03]) and significantly increased total lean mass (1.66 kg [0.81 to 2.51]). However, bimagrumab led to an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) concentrations of 0.47 mmol/L [0.03 to 0.91] and significantly increased incidences of discontinuation (risk ratio [RR] 5.75 [1.61 to 20.46]), muscle spasms (RR 10.44 [4.23 to 25.75]), and diarrhoea (RR 4.91 [2.38 to 10.11]). CONCLUSION: Bimagrumab effectively reversed adverse effects on body composition in obese individuals, resulting in significant fat reduction, increased skeletal muscle mass, and improved glycemic control, suggesting that bimagrumab is a promising new target for personalized metabolic therapy.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Immunosuppressant use may be a potential mediator in the progression of systemic lupus erythematosus to osteomyelitis: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

The prevalence of osteomyelitis (OM) is elevated in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but the causal direction and proportion of immunosuppressant (IS) use in this relationship is unclear. Therefore, this study used a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) study to investigate the causal relationship between SLE and OM and to quantify the role of IS use as a potential mediator. Genome-wide association study summary-level data were used to obtain genetic instrumental variables for SLE (5201 cases and 9066 controls), OM (1881 cases and 391,037 controls), and IS (3954 cases and 268,648 controls) genetic instrumental variables with no overlap between their participant populations. Causal and total effects of SLE and OM were analyzed using bidirectional MR. Subsequent "2-step" MR was used to assess the direct effect between the 2 and the indirect effect of IS. Inverse variance weighting was used as the primary method of MR, while a series of sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the reliability of the results. Forward MR of inverse variance weighting results demonstrated a positive causal association between SLE and OM (P = .003, odds ratio [OR] = 1.062, 95% confidence interval [Cl]-OR: 1.019-1.107). The reverse MR results indicated no causal effect of OM on SLE was found (P = .503, OR = 0.914, 95% Cl-OR: 0.703-1.188). The direct effect of SLE acting on OM in our study was found to be 19.36% by 2-step analysis, and the indirect effect of OM through IS was found to be 68.11% (proportion mediated: 68.11%; 95% CI = 0.2277331-1.134507). There was no heterogeneity in all MR analyses of causality, except for the MR analysis of SLE causally related to IS. Sensitivity analysis found no evidence of horizontal pleiotropy. The present study found an increased relative risk of OM in SLE. Mediation analysis suggested a potential substantial mediating role for IS; however, this estimate was highly imprecise and requires further validation. In clinical practice, clinicians should remain aware of the potential for IS therapy to influence infection risk, including OM, in SLE patients.

Humans↗