Lose weight without harm to the heart
Dr. Erin Bohula, a specialist in cardiovascular medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and his colleagues have published the results of a study on the efficacy and safety of a weight loss drug called Belviq. The study involved more than 10,000 people who are obese or overweight and, as a result, are at risk for the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system. One half of them (5,135 people) received 10 mg of a drug containing lorcaserin twice a day, and the other half (5,083 people) received a placebo.
After a year of follow-up, 39% of patients in the group receiving Belviq had their weight reduced by at least 5%. On average, they lost 4.2 kg, and those taking a placebo lost 1.4 kg. The number of people who lost 5 percent or more in a year among those taking placebo was 17%.
After three years of observation, there were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of serious heart problems between the two groups: it was 6.1% in the lorcaserin group and 6.2% in the placebo group.
The problem of excess weight is global. Over the past 40 years, the number of obese patients worldwide has tripled. The diagnosis of "obesity" is based on the value of the body mass index (the ratio of body weight in kilograms to the square of height in meters) ≥ 30. If the body mass index is in the range from 25 to 29, then they talk about excess weight.
Obesity, as a rule, leads to a decrease in life expectancy, and is also accompanied by concomitant disorders such as hypertension, type II diabetes, dyslipidemia, stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure.
Drug therapy for obesity and overweight is prescribed for long-term weight management in combination with other measures aimed at improving lifestyle: a special diet, physical activity. Unfortunately, none of the weight loss drugs were previously recognized as safe for the cardiovascular system, and some even led to the development of serious disorders, which led to their withdrawal from the market.
Article by Bohula et al. Cardiovascular Safety of Lorcaserin in Overweight or Obese Patients in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Anastasia Poznyak, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru / based on the materials of HealthDay: Weight-Loss Drug Belviq Is First to Show No Harm to Heart.