Today, obesity is one of the most significant medical problems: according to the World Health Organization, about one and a half billion people worldwide have this pathology. Obesity not only reduces the quality of life, social well-being, but also causes the development of endocrinological, cardiological, traumatic, mental and other disorders.
Therefore, the development of effective recommendations and methods for the treatment of obesity is a topical issue of our time. It is well known that the main principle of the fight against obesity is lifestyle modification: proper nutrition and an adequate regime of physical activity. At the same time, the aspect of medical treatment of obesity often misleads not only patients, but also doctors themselves.
Are there any substances that really help effective weight loss? The answer to this question, as well as many other interesting facts about the drug treatment of obesity, read estet-portal.com in this article.
What substances can contribute to the effective treatment of obesity
Today, in almost every pharmacy you can see a lot of drugs that "guarantee" weight loss. Colorful packaging of slimming teas and capsules with all sorts of herbal ingredients promise fast and long-term results. These drugs are expensive, mostly useless, and in some cases unsafe.
The drug treatment of obesity, like any other chronic disease, must comply with the principles and achievements of evidence-based medicine.
To date, there are three substances recommended by international protocols for the treatment of obesity: orlistat, liraglutide, naltrexone/bupropion. Read more about each of them later in the article.
Read also: What endocrinological disorders can cause obesity
Orlistat: features of use and possible side effects
Orlistat is a lipase inhibitor. The latter is known to promote fat fractionation. Inhibition of the enzyme leads to a decrease in the level of triglycerides in the blood. The goal of orlistat is to reduce dietary fat intake by 30% (but no more).
The patient should be counseled regarding a low fat diet, otherwise the adverse pharmacokinetic effects of orlistat would preclude the use of the drug.
Orlistat should be taken at 120 mg 3 times a day with main meals.
One of the common side effects of orlistat is fatty or oily stools. The occurrence of the latter is often associated with the consumption of fatty foods, which should be excluded while taking a drug that inhibits lipase.
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Orlistat may also reduce the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins from the intestinal tract. Therefore, with long-term use of orlistat, it is recommended to use multivitamin preparations.
Liraglutide: practical aspects of the use of the drug in the treatment of obesity
Liraglutide is a GLP1 (glucagon-like peptide 1) analog. The drug stimulates the secretion of insulin from the pancreas depending on the level of glucose in the blood and inhibits gluconeogenesis in the liver. Liraglutide has been shown to reduce appetite.
In the treatment of obesity, the drug is used at a dose of 3 mg 1 r / day. It is necessary to start therapy with the appointment of 0.6 mg of liraglutide with a gradual increase by 0.6 mg every two weeks until reaching 3 mg.
The most common side effects of liraglutide are nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and indigestion. Hypoglycemia may occur, especially when taking other hypoglycemic drugs.
Nausea usually resolves within a month of starting treatment. Its severity can be reduced by increasing the dosage of the drug more slowly.
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Naltrexone and bupropion: drugs to reduce hunger
In the treatment of obesity, the substances naltrexone (8 mg) and bupropion (90 mg) are used as a combination drug, the main effect of which is to reduce appetite. The most common side effects of these substances are nausea, vomiting, constipation, dizziness, and dry mouth. There may be an increase in blood pressure and heart rate.
Contraindications to the use of the drug are individual intolerance to the components, liver and kidney failure, uncontrolled hypertension and the presence of seizures in the patient's history.
Can medication replace sports and proper nutrition
Medication can complement lifestyle changes for obesity, but does not replace it. When prescribing weight loss medications, the patient should always be given advice regarding lifestyle modifications and should be monitored for their implementation.
It is reasonable to prescribe drug treatment of obesity only for persons with a BMI (body mass index) of more than 30 (or more than 27 in the presence of diabetes mellitus).
The patient should be informed that medical treatment of obesity may continue for several years. If the patient has not lost more than 5% of body weight during three months of drug treatment of obesity, it is advisable to stop taking the drugs.
Thank you for staying with estet-portal.com. Read other interesting articles in the "Endocrinology" section. You might also be interested in: How to assess the relationship between obesity and chronic diseases.
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