Published studies, explained
The research library
One page per paper, with the numbers as the researchers reported them, who was studied, what the study cannot tell you, and a link to the paper on PubMed.
102 published studies in 13 sections. 3 more are held back and not published. A page is published only after it has been read against its source and signed; the reviewer and the date are shown at the top of each page. Of the published pages, 41 were written from the full paper, 61 from the abstract and extracted data, and 0 from the publication record alone; each page says which.
Sections
Semaglutide studies explained
The main trials of semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) for weight management, heart and kidney outcomes, liver disease and blood sugar, each explained in plain language with a link to the original paper.
Emerging weight-management medicines
Trials of orforglipron, CagriSema and retatrutide, medicines that are still in research and not approved in Canada as of September 2026.
Lifestyle programs, dietitians and diabetes prevention
Long-running studies of intensive lifestyle programs, low-calorie diets, dietitian-led care and diabetes prevention, from one year to more than twenty years of follow-up.
Side effects and safety studies
Studies of gallbladder disease, pancreatitis, thyroid cancer, eye disease, suicidal thoughts, drug interactions and surgery risks with GLP-1 medicines.
Tirzepatide studies explained
The SURMOUNT, SURPASS and SUMMIT trials of tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) for weight management, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and heart failure, explained for Canadian readers.
Liraglutide, naltrexone-bupropion and orlistat studies
The main trials of liraglutide (Saxenda), naltrexone/bupropion (Contrave) and orlistat (Xenical), including studies in adolescents and children.
Bariatric surgery studies
The Swedish Obese Subjects study and the STAMPEDE trial, which compare weight-loss surgery with medical care over years and decades.
Canadian guidelines and cost studies
Obesity Canada and Diabetes Canada guidance and two Canadian cost-effectiveness models of weight-management treatment.
What happens when weight-management medicines are stopped
Studies that followed people after they stopped semaglutide, tirzepatide or liraglutide, and what happened to their weight and health measures.
GLP-1 medicines and pregnancy
Studies of what happened when people were exposed to GLP-1 medicines in early pregnancy, including a 2026 meta-analysis.
How people use GLP-1 medicines outside trials
Insurance and health-record studies of how long people stay on GLP-1 medicines, how many stop, and how many restart, including one Canadian cohort.
Eating disorders and behavioural weight management
Reviews of whether structured weight-management programs raise or lower eating-disorder risk in adults, children and people with binge-eating disorder.
Setmelanotide and rare genetic obesity
Trials of setmelanotide (Imcivree) in people with rare genetic causes of obesity, including young children.
How to read these pages
Each page answers one question about one study. The first line is the plain answer. Then who was in the study, what was done, what was found with the published confidence intervals, side effects and who stopped, and a section on what the study does not tell you. Nothing on these pages ranks one medicine against another, and nothing here is medical advice.
Two cautions worth carrying into every page
A trial result is a group average
It describes what happened to a defined group over a defined time. It is not a prediction for one person, and it says nothing about cost, access, coverage or how someone will tolerate a medicine.
Numbers from different trials are not comparable
Trials differ in who was enrolled, how long they ran, how doses were increased, what the comparator was and how withdrawals were handled. Only a head-to-head trial compares two medicines, and even then the result is an average.
For how a medicine is authorized and paid for in Canada, see medicines and public drug coverage by province. For the services that prescribe them, see compare services.