Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
197,768 studies31 sourcesUpdated 2 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BYCureus

Cutaneous Adverse Events With Semaglutide: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

  • Samyak Ganjre1
  • Liza Borah1
  • Archit Khardenavis2
  1. 1Dermatology, Raipur Institute of Medical Sciences, Raipur, IND
  2. 2Community Medicine, Ram Krishna Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Bhopal, IND
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Semaglutide is widely used for metabolic disease, but cutaneous adverse events are inconsistently reported. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated randomized comparisons of semaglutide with placebo, usual care, or non-semaglutide active treatment. The protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD420261464289). PubMed, Europe PubMed Central, trial registers, sponsor reports, and regulatory sources were examined through September 9, 2026; source verification was completed on September 21, 2026. Meta-analysis required directly available, source-verified participant event counts and denominators in both groups. Reported alopecia or hair loss and source-defined participant-level injection-site reactions were analyzed separately using common-effect Mantel-Haenszel odds ratios (ORs) without continuity correction. Risk of bias and evidence certainty were assessed for the primary syntheses. Thirty-one trials contributed verified outcome data. Twenty trials formed the primary placebo/common-control evidence set, of which 19 contributed relative-effect estimates and one reported zero injection-site reactions in both groups. Eleven additional trials provided active-comparator or design-specific evidence. Across nine comparisons, alopecia or hair loss was reported in 191/11,564 semaglutide recipients and 36/9,799 comparators (OR: 2.92, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.99-4.27; p < 0.001; low-certainty evidence). The association persisted after exclusion of the largest cardiovascular outcomes trial with restricted ascertainment; random-effects analyses supported the primary interpretations. Eleven informative comparisons reported injection-site reactions in 156/5,066 semaglutide recipients and 114/3,483 comparators (OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.67-1.11; p = 0.256; very-low-certainty evidence). Active comparators and design-specific results were described separately. Semaglutide may increase reports of alopecia or hair loss; its comparative effect on injection-site reactions remains uncertain. Available-count synthesis does not resolve selective non-reporting or incomplete event ascertainment. The findings do not establish a hair-loss mechanism or injection-site safety equivalence.

Related

  1. Cutaneous Adverse Events Associated with Semaglutide, Liraglutide and Tirzepatide: A Systematic Review
    Aditya K. Gupta, Elizabeth M. Teasell, Renata F. Magalhães +2
    Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)Peer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC
  2. Randomized controlled trials of radiation therapy for cutaneous malignancies: a systematic review.
    Sean S Mahase, Joseph Miccio, Marina Chilov +3
    Clinical and translational radiation oncologyPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDFull textEpidemiology & public healthEurope PMC
  3. Durability of Semaglutide Effects After Treatment Discontinuation in HIV-Associated Lipohypertrophy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase 2b Clinical Trial.
    Ruth O Adekunle, Qian Wu, Abdus Sattar +5
    Open forum infectious diseasesPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC
  4. Management Strategies for Cutaneous Adverse Events Caused by Kinase Inhibitors in Oncology: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
    Renáta Árok, Fanni Adél Meznerics, Andrea Lancz +5
    CancersPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textOncologyCrossrefEurope PMC
  5. Semaglutide versus placebo in individuals with poor weight loss after bariatric surgery: a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial
    Chloe Stanley, Ritwika Mallik, Nausheen Hamid +20
    Nature MedicinePeer-reviewedCC BYFull text14 citedSurgery & anaesthesiaOpenAlex

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{ganjre2026cutaneous,
  title = {{Cutaneous Adverse Events With Semaglutide: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials}},
  author = {Samyak Ganjre and Liza Borah and Archit Khardenavis},
  journal = {Cureus},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.7759/cureus.117270},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13722923},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Cutaneous Adverse Events With Semaglutide: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
AU  - Samyak Ganjre
AU  - Liza Borah
AU  - Archit Khardenavis
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/30
JO  - Cureus
DO  - 10.7759/cureus.117270
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13722923
AB  - Semaglutide is widely used for metabolic disease, but cutaneous adverse events are inconsistently reported. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated randomized comparisons of semaglutide with placebo, usual care, or non-semaglutide active treatment. The protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD420261464289). PubMed, Europe PubMed Central, trial registers, sponsor reports, and regulatory sources were examined through September 9, 2026; source verification was completed on September 21, 2026. Meta-analysis required directly available, source-verified participant event counts and denominators in both groups. Reported alopecia or hair loss and source-defined participant-level injection-site reactions were analyzed separately using common-effect Mantel-Haenszel odds ratios (ORs) without continuity correction. Risk of bias and evidence certainty were assessed for the primary syntheses. Thirty-one trials contributed verified outcome data. Twenty trials formed the primary placebo/common-control evidence set, of which 19 contributed relative-effect estimates and one reported zero injection-site reactions in both groups. Eleven additional trials provided active-comparator or design-specific evidence. Across nine comparisons, alopecia or hair loss was reported in 191/11,564 semaglutide recipients and 36/9,799 comparators (OR: 2.92, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.99-4.27; p < 0.001; low-certainty evidence). The association persisted after exclusion of the largest cardiovascular outcomes trial with restricted ascertainment; random-effects analyses supported the primary interpretations. Eleven informative comparisons reported injection-site reactions in 156/5,066 semaglutide recipients and 114/3,483 comparators (OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.67-1.11; p = 0.256; very-low-certainty evidence). Active comparators and design-specific results were described separately. Semaglutide may increase reports of alopecia or hair loss; its comparative effect on injection-site reactions remains uncertain. Available-count synthesis does not resolve selective non-reporting or incomplete event ascertainment. The findings do not establish a hair-loss mechanism or injection-site safety equivalence.
SN  - 2168-8184
ER  -