A Study of the Effectiveness of Certain Anorexigenic Agents

A Neuropharmacological Analysis of Hypothalamic and Extrahypothalamic Mechanisms Concerned With the Regulation of Food and Water Intake*

“…The appetite depressant effects of amphetamine have been studied for 30 years (Nathanson, 1937;Ulrich, 1937), and a number of structurally related substances (d-amphetamine, 1-amphetamine, r-amphetamine, methamphetamine, phenmetrazine hydrochloride, diethylpropion, phenylpropanolamine) have been developed to improve their specificity (Fazekas et al, 1958;Gelvin et al, 1953Gelvin et al, , 1958Berneike, 1954;Thoma & Wick, 1954). Some individuals apparently respond well to this treatment, although the many exuberant claims of earlier investigators have been tempered by the results of more adequately controlled studies showing that the anorexigenic effects of sympathomimetic amines are typically small and highly variable at doses which avoid various incapacitating side effects such as delirium, dizziness, agitation or depression (Fazekas, 1961).…”

Anorexigenic Drugs in Perspective

“…These were the inclusion of low‐caloric diets and particularly the psychologic impact of the physician‐investigator on the patient and the investigator's own conscious or unconscious bias. Gradually these undesirable features were reduced or neutralized by the evolution of more sophisticated, better‐controlled studies with double‐blind, cross‐over and total randomization factors (8–13). As the validity of the methodologies increased, the clinical evidence for the pharmacologic activity and hypo‐orexigenic quality of these drugs mounted.…”

“…Anorexigenic agents are available which produce excellent appetite suppression in a very high percentage of cases when skillfully used (8, 9, 13, 14, 27, 28). An optimal effect is obtained with short‐acting forms taken one to two hours before meals thus timing the activity to reach its height at mealtime.…”

“…Numerous studies on the efficacy and comparative evaluation of anorexigenics have been performed (1–14). Precise and valid evaluations in this field have been difficult because of the many variables inherent in the methodologies employed.…”

Phenmetrazine Hydrochloride in Treatment of Obesity

“…Berneike (1955) has suggested that the action of phenmetrazine is to induce the feeling of satiation earlier than it would normally occur. Fazekas et al (1958) studied the effect of phenmetrazine and of placebo tablets in a series of adult patients attending a weightreduction clinic, but these were given an " individualized diet" of unspecified calorie value. Moreover, the results were not standardized for the patients' initial percentage overweight.…”