In Other Journals

Anti-obesity drugs, in general, lead to only a modest weight loss of about 5 kg or less at 1 year, according to a meta-analysis of data from more than 75 clinical trials. The US researchers who reported the meta-analysis results examined not only agents specifically approved for use in obesity, such as orlistat and sibutramine, but also other medications being used for weight loss, including sertraline, fluoxetine and bupropion. Despite the somewhat disappointing overall finding, the researchers said this modest amount of weight loss may still be clinically significant. They said the choice of medication for weight loss probably depended on the patient’s tolerance to the side effect profile of each agent.