Which Prescription Weight Loss Drugs Are Most Effective?
While all 5 of the medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the management of obesity were associated with a 5% reduction in weight at 1 year vs placebo, 2 of the medications had the highest odds of achieving weight reduction, according to the results of a recent study.
There is currently limited comparative data available on the safety and effectiveness of the 5 medications (orlistat, lorcaserin, naltrexone-bupropion, phentermine-topiramate, and liraglutide).
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Blood Sugar Drug Aids with Weight Loss in Type 2 Diabetes
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In order to compare weight loss and adverse events associated with the 5 treatment options, the researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 28 randomized clinical trials involving 29,018 overweight and obese participants treated with the 5 agents for at least 1 year. All studies compared the use of the tested agent with either another active agent or placebo.
Overall, a median 23% of placebo participants experienced 5% weight loss at 1 year compared with 75% of participants taking phentermine-topiramate, 63% taking liraglutide, 55% taking naltrexone-bupropion, 49% taking lorcaserin, and 44% taking orlistat.
Furthermore, compared with placebo, liraglutide and naltrexone-bupropion were associated with the highest odds of adverse event-related discontinuation of treatment.
“Among overweight or obese adults, orlistat, lorcaserin, naltrexone-bupropion, phentermine-topiramate, and liraglutide, compared with placebo, were each associated with achieving at least 5% weight loss at 52 weeks. Phentermine-topiramate and liraglutide were associated with the highest odds of achieving at least 5% weight loss.”
—Michael Potts
Reference:
Khera R, Murad MH, Chandar AK, et al. Association of pharmacological treatments for obesity with weight loss and adverse events: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2016;315(22):2424-2434.