Abstract
BACKGROUND: Very-low-calorie diets are a well established method to achieve substantial
short-term weight loss in obese patients, but long-term maintenance of the weight
loss is very disappointing. A combined very-low-calorie diet and pharmacologic approach
could be an effective means of prolonging its benefits.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible patients had a body-mass index greater than 30 kg/m2; those who lost 6 kg or more during a 4-week treatment with a very-low-calorie diet
were randomly assigned to 1 year of treatment with sibutramine (10 mg) or identical
placebo.
RESULTS: In an intention-to-treat analysis, mean (±SD) absolute weight change at 1
year (or study endpoint) was −5.2 (±7.5) kg in the 81 patients in the sibutramine
group and +0.5 (±5.7) kg in the 78 patients in the placebo group (P = 0.004). When compared with their weight at study entry (before the very-low-calorie
diet), 86% of patients in the sibutramine group had lost at least 5% of their weight,
compared with only 55% of those in the placebo group (P <0.001) at the study endpoint. Similarly, at month 12, 75% of subjects in the sibutramine
group maintained at least 100% of the weight loss achieved with a very-low-calorie
diet, compared with 42% in the placebo group (P <0.01).
CONCLUSION: Following a very-low-calorie diet, sibutramine is effective in maintaining
and improving weight loss for up to 1 year.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 16, 2004
Accepted:
October 14,
1998
Received in revised form:
October 14,
1998
Received:
February 4,
1998
Identification
Copyright
© 1999 Excerpta Medica Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
