- Lorcaserin (Belviq) has been shown to help people lose weight and keep it off for several years.
- The new study claims lorcaserin does not increase risk of heart problems.
- May encourage wider use to help curb obesity epidemic.
Lorcaserin was first approved in 2012 but it has taken a multi-year study to show that it could assist millions to fight middle-age spread.
A study of 12,000 people in the US found those taking the drug lost an average of 9lbs 3oz in the first year compared 3lbs lost by those who relied on weight-loss advice alone. The trial also found that most participants kept weight off for the length of the study.
The study suggest that lorcaserin is three 3x more effective than dieting alone. The twice-a-day tablets affects the brain cells that control appetite, which can become less effective with age.
The medicine (lorcaserin) which is also sold under the brand name Belviq was also shown to be safe over the long-term.
Dr Erin Bohula, who led the study at Harvard Medical School, yesterday told the European Society of Cardiology congress in Munich that the findings were an ‘important milestone’. Dr Bohula went on to say ‘We have been able to demonstrate for the first time in a rigorous, randomised way that this weight-loss drug does what it is intended to do. It helps people lose weight without causing an increase in adverse cardiovascular events in a population at higher risk for heart attacks and strokes.’
The study also showed the risk of developing type 2 diabetes was reduced by 19 per cent whilst also reducing blood pressure, blood sugar and heart rate.
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Posted: August 2018
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