Weight loss jabs could be effective on children as young as six who are obese or have type 2 diabetes, researchers suggest.
However, stomach problems were “significantly more common” among youngsters taking the drugs.
Experts in the US carried out a review and meta-analysis of 18 trials involving GLP-1 agonists on youngsters aged six to 17.
The family of drugs help lower blood sugar levels, slow the digestion of food and can reduce appetite.
Overall, the studies included 1,402 children and compared the effectiveness of GLP-1 agonists to placebo treatment in youngsters who were obese, overweight, had pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes.
Researchers found the drugs “significantly improved” the likes of glycaemic control and weight in obese children and those with type 2 diabetes.
However, they highlighted that “gastrointestinal adverse events”, which can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation, were “significantly more common” among those taking the drugs.
Writing in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, the researchers added that longer follow-up periods in future trials and more real-world studies are “essential to establish the long-term effects of GLP-1 RAs in children and adolescents”.
A number of GLP-1 agonists are available on the NHS in England – either to help manage weight or treat type 2 diabetes – although they are all recommended for adults.
The latest data published by the NHS shows 22.1% of children in Year 6 (aged 10 to 11) in England were obese in 2023/24, down from 22.7% in 2022/23.
Despite falling for the third year in a row, the figure is still higher than the years before the pandemic.
Elsewhere, the Government’s national child measurement programme, found around one in 10 children joining primary school in England were obese in 2023/24, up from 9.2% in 2022/23.
