G. Geyer et al., BODY-WEIGHT AND EATING HABITS IN OBESITY AS INFLUENCED BY DEXFENFLURAMINE - RESULTS OF A FIELD-STUDY IN AUSTRIA, Acta medica austriaca, 22(5), 1995, pp. 95
In a multicenter study by 243 practicing physicians in Austria 819 sev
erely obese subjects of both sexes without overt disease were encourag
ed to keep a calorie-restricted diet to reduce weight. After a run-in
period of more than two weeks of dieting patients started taking 15 mg
dexfenfluramine (Isomeride(R)) twice daily for three month. While the
ir weight was fairly stable during the run-in period progressive weigh
t loss occurred during taking dexfenfluramine due to obvious changes i
n eating habits and appetite allowing to keep the reducing diet more s
trictly. Females lost 7.7 +/- 3.9 kg while obese men lost 9.32 +/- 4.6
kg. Laboratory tests obtained before starting dexfenfluramine and aft
er 3 months at termination of medication showed blood glucose, cholest
erol, LDL and triglycerides to decrease while HDL-cholesterol increase
d moderately. Dexfenfluramine was well tolerated by the majority of pa
tients. Side effects such as fatigue, sedation, flatulence or diarrhea
occurred in only 7.9% of the probands initially and dropped to 2.1% d
uring the third month of the medication. It is concluded that Dexfenfl
uramine modifies eating habits and appetite thus making weight reducin
g diets easier acceptable and resulting in weight loss. It is suggeste
d that Dexfenfluramine has a role in treatment regimes for morbid and
refractory obesity.