Use of Prescription Drugs in the Treatment
of Obesity
Obesity has become an epidemic in the United
States and in many other countries of the world. Obesity is a chronic
disease, not a failure of willpower. Diet, exercise, and behavioral modification
of lifestyle are rarely successful over the long term. Medications have
been used sparingly, because of concerns about addiction and ineffectiveness,
but used chronically, obesity drugs are effective. The two main categories
of obesity drugs are centrally active adrenergic and serotonergic agents.
These drugs reduce appetite, enhance satiety, and increase energy expenditure.
Use of single agents produces modest weight loss and use of combinations
increases loss, but few patients reach their goal weight.
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Co-morbidities associated with obesity
resolve or are reduced in severity with weight loss. Adverse events
of major concern are changes in brain biochemistry and primary pulmonary
hypertension.
NOTE: Published guidelines for use
of obesity medications recommend they be used to treat only medically
significant obesity - patients with a 30+ body mass index (BMI)
with no obesity-related conditions, or patients with a 27+ BMI with
two or more obesity-related conditions.
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Weight
Loss Drugs
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