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According to the Lancet Journal, more long-term data on the efficacy and safety of anti-obesity drugs such as Xenical (orlistat), Acomplia (rimonabant), and Meridia (sibutramine) need to be documented before medical professionals can be certain if the benefits of these drugs outweigh the risks.
The Food and Drug Administration has already approved orlistat and sibutramine for long-term use. Rimonabant is still under review, however.
Drug Effects
Though studies have found all of these drugs to be at least somewhat effective, each of them also carries potentially serious adverse effects, The Lancet medical journal said.
Orlistat has been associated with gastrointestinal side effects, rimonabant may cause mood disorders, and sibutramine is suspected to raise the heart rate and blood pressure of those taking the drug.
These effects were found in short-term use. The study authors say that we should be more concerned about what could occur with long-term use of these drugs. Dr. Raj S. Padwal, and Dr. Sumit R. Majumdar, two of the study''s authors from then University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, Canada, said that the research on the long-term effects of these drugs is incomplete.
The studies suffer from high dropout rates, and there is no long-term data on deaths and illnesses resulting from the use of these drugs.
“In light of the lack of successful weight loss treatments and the public health implications of the obesity pandemic, the development of safe and effective drugs should be a priority,” the researchers said.
The doctors said that trials that show the drug''s ability to reduce obesity-related illnesses and deaths “should be required either before these drugs are approved for widespread use or as a condition of ongoing approval.”
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