BODY-WEIGHT AND EATING HABITS IN OBESITY AS INFLUENCED BY DEXFENFLURAMINE - RESULTS OF A FIELD-STUDY IN AUSTRIA

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.