Orlistat - Lipase Inhibitor - Weight Loss
Effects
Treatments for obesity are disappointing,
and none has yet shown an effect on morbidity or mortality. Non drug treatments
have not been assessed adequately. Long-term maintenance of weight loss
requires long-term patient management.
Orlistat Weight Loss Drug
Orlistat, a gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor, is licensed in Europe for
the treatment of obesity, in combination with a low-calorie diet. The
risk-benefit ratio of orlistat could not be estimated from the initial
assessment file in 1999. There were fears over a possible increase in
the risk of breast cancer. Few new efficacy data have been obtained since.
Weight Loss Drug Trials
Medium-term trials (12-24 months) show that orlistat (120 mg three times
a day), combined with dietary intervention, has a minor supplementary
effect on weight loss (-3.5 kg on average). A meta-analysis of three of
the four available comparative trials lasting two years failed to conclude
that orlistat prevents the onset of type 2 diabetes.
Orlistat Health Effects
Likewise, there is no firm evidence that orlistat lowers cardiovascular
morbidity or mortality. Orlistat frequently has gastrointestinal adverse
effects, and case reports of hypertension have been published. Orlistat
probably interacts with a number of other drugs.
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Orlistat - Minor Weight Loss Aid
Follow-up of nearly 8,000 women for
only a few years showed no increase in the incidence of breast cancer
on orlistat. In practice, dietary intervention and risk factor management
remain the cornerstones in the management of obesity.
Orlistat is only a minor, optional
and temporary aid, although it appears so far to have no serious
adverse effects.
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