An FDA advisory panel has voted to recommend that the FDA either severely restrict access to the weight-loss drug sibutramine (Meridia, Abbott Laboratories) and add tougher warnings or pull the plug on it altogether, due to its increased CV risk profile. Only two of the agency's Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee, which spent Wednesday reviewing the results of the Sibutramine Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial (SCOUT), concluded that the drug should remain on the market with a boxed warning only, and no members thought the drug could stay on the market with no labeling changes.
The Bottom Line:
Meridia is one of only three drugs available for weight loss, the other two are: Alli which prevents fat absorption and has the unpleasant side effect of bloating, gas and diarrhea, and Phentermine which can cause an increase in heart rate, jitters and insomnia. All three cause only mild to modest weight reductions. Meridia in a recent study posed an increase in heart attack risk compared to placebo, in a range, that when considering it is only modestly effective in causing weight loss, makes it an unacceptable drug.
What to do:
If you have serious obesity issues, with a body mass index (BMI) more than 30, or if you have more than 25lbs to lose, any of the popular diet programs are acceptable: Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, NutriSystem or Optifast.
My Recommendation:
Optifast has a 35 year track record of rapid, safe and effective weight loss that has a high probablity of being sustained over five years. In the late 1979 and 1980 i studied the effect of Optifast on heart function and rhythm in masively obese patients on an Optifast diet. The heart responded by returning to normal size and function and a normalization of heart beats. My present experience as a cardilogist dealing with morbidly obese patients has shown that Optifast has had been amazingly effective in causing signifcant, safe weight loss. Please see OC-OPTIFAST.COM if you are in need of fast, safe and effective weight loss
0 comments:
Post a Comment