Rehman R. Role of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in pediatric obesity and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease. World J Clin Pediatr 2025; 14(3): 105731 [DOI: 10.5409/wjcp.v14.i3.105731]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Rahiya Rehman, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Saint Louis University, 1465 S Grand Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63108, United States. rahiya.rehman@health.slu.edu
Research Domain of This Article
Pediatrics
Article-Type of This Article
Evidence Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Pediatr. Sep 9, 2025; 14(3): 105731 Published online Sep 9, 2025. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v14.i3.105731
Role of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in pediatric obesity and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease
Rahiya Rehman
Rahiya Rehman, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO 63108, United States
Author contributions: Rehman R wrote the manuscript, thoroughly reviewed, and endorsed the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author reports no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Rahiya Rehman, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Saint Louis University, 1465 S Grand Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63108, United States. rahiya.rehman@health.slu.edu
Received: February 5, 2025 Revised: March 4, 2025 Accepted: April 14, 2025 Published online: September 9, 2025 Processing time: 131 Days and 16.1 Hours
Abstract
This article examines the growing prevalence of pediatric obesity and its connection to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in children and adolescents, focusing on the role of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in treatment. Pediatric obesity and MASLD present significant long-term health risks, making early intervention crucial. The article reviews the pathophysiology of both pediatric obesity and MASLD, explores current therapeutic strategies, and discusses the emerging role of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, such as liraglutide, semaglutide, exenatide, and dulaglutide, in managing obesity, as well as explores current limited pediatric literature on the use of these medications in MASLD.
Core Tip: Understanding the impact of glucagon-like peptide-1 analogs in the pediatric population is crucial, as these medications have the potential to address a significant treatment gap in childhood metabolic disorders. Their effects on weight regulation, insulin sensitivity, and liver health could offer long-term benefits, particularly in condiBeltagi, MD, PhD, Chief Physician, Professortions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease. Further research and clinical trials are needed to establish their safety, efficacy, and appropriate use in children.
