Obesity, Abdominal
Recent clinical, regulatory, research and industry developments relating to this disease.
Metabolic syndrome: a closer look at the growing epidemic and its associated pathologies.
What's happening now
An analyst briefing on current research, clinical, regulatory and industry activity surrounding this disease.
- 5 clinical trials expected to report results, the earliest in Q2 2027.
- Q2 2027Efficacy, Metabolic and Cardiovascular Effects of Liraglutide in Children Aged 6-12 Years With Severe Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial With Advanced Echocardiographic Assessment
- Q3 2027A Master Protocol to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of Orforglipron Once Daily in Participants With Hypertension and Obesity or Overweight: Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trials (ATTAIN-HYPERTENSION)
- Q4 2027Effect of Metformin ER With Hypocaloric Diet on Weight Loss in Overweight/Obese Patients With Increased Waist Circumference
- Q4 2028Weight Maintenance in Adolescents With Obesity; Long-Term Treatment With Semaglutide s.c.2.4 mg Once-weekly
- Q1 2029A Phase IV Study to Assess the Effect of Naltrexone Hydrochloride Extended Release (ER) and Bupropion Hydrochloride ER Combination (Contrave®/Mysimba®) on the Occurrence of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events
Clinical MilestonesView all 18Hide
- 2026-06-08Effect of Metformin ER With Hypocaloric Diet on Weight Loss in Overweight/Obese Patients With Increased Waist CircumferenceResults expected Q4 2027
- 2026-06-02Weight Maintenance in Adolescents With Obesity; Long-Term Treatment With Semaglutide s.c.2.4 mg Once-weeklyResults expected Q4 2028
- 2026-05-29A Master Protocol to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of Orforglipron Once Daily in Participants With Hypertension and Obesity or Overweight: Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trials (ATTAIN-HYPERTENSION)Results expected Q3 2027
- 2026-05-15Efficacy, Metabolic and Cardiovascular Effects of Liraglutide in Children Aged 6-12 Years With Severe Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial With Advanced Echocardiographic AssessmentResults expected Q2 2027
- 2026-03-31A Phase IV Study to Assess the Effect of Naltrexone Hydrochloride Extended Release (ER) and Bupropion Hydrochloride ER Combination (Contrave®/Mysimba®) on the Occurrence of Major Adverse Cardiovascular EventsResults expected Q1 2029
- 2026-06-02Efficacy, Safety, and Pharmacokinetics of Tirzepatide Once Weekly Versus Placebo in Adolescent Participants Who Have Obesity, or Are Overweight With Weight-Related Comorbidities: A Randomized, Double-Blind Trial (SURMOUNT-ADOLESCENTS)Primary completion
- 2026-06-01Efficacy and Safety of Ixekizumab or Ixekizumab Concomitantly Administered With Tirzepatide in Adult Participants With Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis and Obesity or Overweight: A Phase 3b, Randomized, Multicenter, Open-Label Study (TOGETHER-PsO)Completed
- 2026-04-30A Master Protocol to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of LY3437943 Once Weekly in Participants Without Type 2 Diabetes Who Have Obesity or Overweight: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial (TRIUMPH-1)Completed
- 2026-04-23Efficacy and Safety of Ixekizumab or Ixekizumab Concomitantly Administered With Tirzepatide in Adult Participants With Active Psoriatic Arthritis and Obesity or Overweight: A Phase 3b, Randomized, Multicenter, Open-Label Study (TOGETHER-PsA)Completed
- 2026-04-22Efficacy and Safety of Cagrilintide s.c. in Combination With Semaglutide s.c.(CagriSema s.c. 1.0 mg/1.0 mg and 1.7 mg/1.7 mg) Once-weekly in Participants With Overweight or ObesityCompleted
- 2028-06-01Improving Access to Anti-Obesity Pharmacotherapy for Pediatric Obesity: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of PhentermineWithdrawn
- 2028-03-01A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-blind, Double-dummy, Parallel-group, Active Drug and Placebo-controlled, Safety, Efficacy and Superiority of Sibutramine IR/Topiramate XR in Overweight Adults With Comorbidities/ObesityWithdrawn
- 2028-01-17A Placebo-controlled Comparability Study to Compare Two Presentations of CagriSema in Participants With Overweight or ObesityWithdrawn
- 2027-11-01Parent Toddler Obesity Study (PTOS)Withdrawn
- 2026-11-30Megestrol Acetate Versus Liraglutide Plus Megestrol Acetate in Obese Women with Endometrial Atypical Hyperplasia: a Randomized Controlled Pilot Clinical StudyWithdrawn
- 2028-06-01ClinicalImproving Access to Anti-Obesity Pharmacotherapy for Pediatric Obesity: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of PhentermineWithdrawn
- 2028-03-01ClinicalA Phase 3, Randomized, Double-blind, Double-dummy, Parallel-group, Active Drug and Placebo-controlled, Safety, Efficacy and Superiority of Sibutramine IR/Topiramate XR in Overweight Adults With Comorbidities/ObesityWithdrawn
- 2028-01-17ClinicalA Placebo-controlled Comparability Study to Compare Two Presentations of CagriSema in Participants With Overweight or ObesityWithdrawn
- 2027-11-01ClinicalParent Toddler Obesity Study (PTOS)Withdrawn
- 2026-11-30ClinicalMegestrol Acetate Versus Liraglutide Plus Megestrol Acetate in Obese Women with Endometrial Atypical Hyperplasia: a Randomized Controlled Pilot Clinical StudyWithdrawn
- 2026-06-08ClinicalEffect of Metformin ER With Hypocaloric Diet on Weight Loss in Overweight/Obese Patients With Increased Waist CircumferenceResults expected Q4 2027
- 2026-06-02ClinicalEfficacy, Safety, and Pharmacokinetics of Tirzepatide Once Weekly Versus Placebo in Adolescent Participants Who Have Obesity, or Are Overweight With Weight-Related Comorbidities: A Randomized, Double-Blind Trial (SURMOUNT-ADOLESCENTS)Primary completion
- 2026-06-02ClinicalWeight Maintenance in Adolescents With Obesity; Long-Term Treatment With Semaglutide s.c.2.4 mg Once-weeklyResults expected Q4 2028
- 2026-06-01ClinicalEfficacy and Safety of Ixekizumab or Ixekizumab Concomitantly Administered With Tirzepatide in Adult Participants With Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis and Obesity or Overweight: A Phase 3b, Randomized, Multicenter, Open-Label Study (TOGETHER-PsO)Completed
- 2026-05-29ClinicalA Master Protocol to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of Orforglipron Once Daily in Participants With Hypertension and Obesity or Overweight: Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trials (ATTAIN-HYPERTENSION)Results expected Q3 2027
Clinical trials
The current development programme across all trial phases.
Evidence coverage
How much of this condition's readable clinical evidence the confidence engine has incorporated, across its most-studied treatments. This measures coverage of the evidence base — not whether any treatment works.
Largest gap: off claim endpoint family (8, endpoint-family).
Research activity
Key research shaping understanding of this disease, combining the latest publications with the most influential evidence.
Major themes8
- Insulin Resistance3
- Cardiovascular Diseases1
- Diet1
- Hypertension1
- Metabolic Syndrome1
- Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease1
- Obesity, Abdominal1
- Sleep Apnea, Obstructive1
Leading journals5
- Clinical and experimental hypertension (New York, N.Y. : 1993)1
- Gut1
- Nutrients1
- Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity1
- Sleep1
Leading researchers8
- Anhê FF1
- Bixler EO1
- Cai X1
- Calhoun SL1
- Desjardins Y1
- Dudonné S1
- Fernandez-Mendoza J1
- Gan P1
Affiliations (unnormalised)6
- Cardiology Axis of the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute1
- College of Medicine1
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention1
- Hypertension Center of People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region1
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods1
- National Institute for Nutrition and Health1
Related conditions
Diseases frequently studied alongside this one. Number shows shared papers.
Disease profile
A grounded synthesis of the condition — overview, causes, mechanism, risk factors and current standard of care.
Abdominal obesity is a condition characterized by excess fat accumulation in the abdomen. It is typically defined by increased waist circumference, with common thresholds of 40 inches or more in men and 35 inches or more in women. It is associated with increased risk of disorders including diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome.
The supplied grounding supports inappropriate diet and unhealthy dietary habits as contributors to abdominal obesity. No other specific causes are supported here.
Abdominal obesity is described as central fat accumulation that is part of metabolic dysfunction. It is linked to insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, and hypertension within metabolic syndrome, and it can worsen metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.
Inappropriate diet and unhealthy dietary habits are supported risk factors. The grounding also indicates that abdominal obesity is associated with increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and related cardiometabolic disease.
AI-generated summary grounded in MeSH and 2 peer-reviewed sources. Informational only — not medical advice. Generated 2026-07-07.
Reference
Authoritative identity, definition & identifiers.
A condition of having excess fat in the abdomen. Abdominal obesity is typically defined as waist circumferences of 40 inches or more in men and 35 inches or more in women. Abdominal obesity raises the risk of developing disorders, such as DIABETES; HYPERTENSION; and METABOLIC SYNDROME.
- Disease identity & definition — NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), public domain
- Clinical trials — ClinicalTrials.gov (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
- Research activity — Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI) + OpenAlex-derived paper links
- Related entities are derived from literature co-mention (studied together) — associative, not causal.