New Drug Reduces Bodyweight
Reported April 15, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire)
— A new drug may substantially reduce the bodyweight, waist circumference, and risk factors for heart disease in obese people, according to new research.
In a trial conducted in Europe and the United States, participants were randomized to receive five milligrams or 20 milligrams of a drug called rimonabant or a placebo in addition to a calorie-controlled diet. Study participants with a body mass index of 30 kilograms per square meter or greater, or a BMI greater than 27 kilograms per square meter with abnormal blood fat levels, high blood pressure, or both were included in the trial.
After one year, patients treated with the drug lost more weight. Better results were seen from patients who had taken 20 milligrams of the drug. These patients had greater improvements in waist circumference and cardiovascular risk factors including cholesterol, insulin resistance, and prevalence of metabolic syndrome.
In this study, treatment with rimonabant over one year led to sustained, clinically meaningful weight loss, reduction in waist circumference, and associated improvements in several cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, says study author Professor Luc Van Gaal, from University Hospital in Antwerp, Belgium.
SOURCE: The Lancet, 2005;365:1389-1397