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

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 tr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pharmacotherapy 2013-12, Vol.33 (12), p.1308-1321
Main Authors: Ling, Hua, Lenz, Thomas L., Burns, Tammy L., Hilleman, Daniel E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anti-Obesity Agents - adverse effects
Anti-Obesity Agents - therapeutic use
bariatric surgery
Bariatric Surgery - methods
diet
exercise
Humans
Life Style
obesity
Obesity - drug therapy
Obesity - epidemiology
Obesity - therapy
Obesity, Morbid - therapy
Patient Compliance
Prevalence
Public Health
Time Factors
Weight Loss - drug effects
weight-loss drugs
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0277-0008
1875-9114
DOI:10.1002/phar.1277