Reducing the Risk of Obesity: Defining the Role of Weight Loss Drugs

Abstract

The prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically in the past 20 years. As a public health concern, obesity is associated with a health care resource burden that is quickly approaching that associated with tobacco use. Although lifestyle intervention (diet and exercise) remains the mainstay of treatment of obesity, its effectiveness is limited by poor long-term adherence. Drug therapy has historically been unsuccessful in producing sustained weight loss. Many older weight loss drugs have adverse benefit-to-risk profiles. This review provides an overview of nonpharmacologic interventions for weight loss. The safety and efficacy of older weight loss drugs, as well as current data related to lorcaserin, phentermine/topiramate, and naltrexone-bupropion, are evaluated. Although associated with modest weight loss and some improvement in adverse obesity-related metabolic effects, none of these drugs has been demonstrated to reduce mortality. In addition, the long-term safety of these drugs remains largely unknown. Bariatric surgery is an option for patients with morbid obesity who have failed conventional treatment.

Balancing risk and reward: a critical review of the intragastric balloon for weight loss

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Intragastric Balloon for Obesity Treatment: Safety, Tolerance, and Efficacy

“…Pharmacotherapy is less invasive and less costly for the management of obesity but results in a limited weight loss and may have significant side effects [9].…”

Promoting Weight Loss in the Obese Patient

“…22 Sibutramine (Meridia), approved in the United States in 1997, was a short-lived agent as it, too, was associated with hypertension and nonfatal cardiovascular events before being removed by both the EMA and the FDA in 2010. Fenfluramine was later combined with phentermine ("fen-phen"), but reports soon surfaced of cardiac valve damage and pulmonary hypertension in users.…”