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Article: Use weight-loss drugs cautiously, never alone.(Obesity)
- Article from:
- Family Practice News
- Article date:
- April 15, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 International Medical News Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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SAN FRANCISCO -- Medications for weight loss are little help as monotherapy, and it's questionable whether the benefits outweigh the risks, Dr. Robert Baron said at a diabetes update sponsored by the University of California, San Francisco.
Approved weight-loss medications such as sibutramine or orlistat produce an average 5% drop in weight beyond the weight loss achieved on placebo when used alone. Dieting alone leads to an average 8% weight loss beyond that achieved with placebo. The efficacy of drug and diet therapies are about the same, but medications carry potential side effects and cost more, said Dr. Baron, professor of medicine at the university.