Clinical
Weight Loss Trials of Diet Pills
Diet Pills Trial - Xenical/Orlistat and
Meridia/Sibutramine
Background
Worldwide prevalence rates of obesity and overweight are rising and safe
and effective treatment strategies are urgently needed. A number of anti-obesity
agents have been studied in short-term clinical trials, but long-term
efficacy and safety need to be established.
Aim
To assess/compare the effects and safety of approved anti-obesity medications
Orlistat (Xenical) and Sibutramine (Meridia)
in clinical trials of at least one-year duration.
Selection Criteria
Double-blind, randomised controlled weight loss and weight maintenance
trials of approved anti-obesity agents that 1) enrolled adult overweight
or obese patients, 2) included a placebo control group or compared two
or more anti-obesity drugs 3) used an intention-to-treat analysis, and
4) had a minimum follow-up period of one year. Abstracts and pseudo-randomised
trials were not included.
Data Collection and Analysis
Two reviewers independently assessed all potentially relevant citations
for inclusion and methodological quality. The primary outcome measure
was weight loss.
Results
Of the eight anti-obesity agents investigated, only orlistat and sibutramine
trials met inclusion criteria. Eleven orlistat weight loss studies
(four of which reported a second year weight maintenance phase) and five
sibutramine studies (three weight loss and two weight maintenance
trials) were included. Attrition rates averaged 33 percent during the
weight loss phase of orlistat trials and 43 percent in sibutramine studies.
All patients received lifestyle modification as a co-intervention. Compared
to placebo, orlistat-treated patients lost 2.7 kg or 2.9 percent more
weight and patients on sibutramine experienced 4.3 kg or 4.6 percent greater
weight loss. The number of patients achieving ten percent or greater weight
loss was 12 percent higher with orlistat and 15 percent higher with sibutramine
therapy. Weight loss maintenance results were similar. Orlistat caused
gastrointestinal side effects and sibutramine was associated with small
increases in blood pressure and pulse rate.
Conclusions
Studies evaluating the long-term efficacy of anti-obesity agents are limited
to orlistat and sibutramine. Both drugs appear modestly effective in promoting
weight loss; however, interpretation is limited by high attrition rates.
Longer and more methodologically rigorous studies of anti-obesity drugs
that are powered to examine endpoints such as mortality and cardiovascular
morbidity are required to fully evaluate any potential benefit of such
agents.
Source: Padwal R, Li SK, Lau DCW. Long-term
pharmacotherapy for obesity and overweight (Cochrane Methodology Review).
In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 4, 2003.
Some Clinical Weight Loss Trials of Diet
Pills
Xenical
Diet Pills and Diabesity
Laxatives & Diet Pills
CLA Dietary Pills Trial
Orlistat Diet Pills Trial
Xenical/ Meridia Diet Pills
Xenical/ Orlistat Diet
Pills Trial
Meridia Diet Pills
Meridia & Dexfenfluramine
Sibutramine Diet Pills:
Health Trial
Meridia Diet Pills: Energy
Trial
Sibutramine Diet
Pills: Drug Abuse Trial
Sibutramine Diet Pills Trial
Sibutramine Diet Drugs:
Energy Trial
Orlistat/ Sibutramine
Diet Pills Trial
Orlistat/ Xenical Diet
Pills Trial
Dietary Supplements:
Weight Loss Trial
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