Drug helps reduce weight and cholesterol

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A study shows how orlistat can help people reduce their weight and lower cholesterol.
Orlistat is a prescription-only drug that blocks the absorption of fat. It is known to reduce weight and, according to a new analysis, it can also reduce cholesterol.

Researchers in Canada looking at 28 trials of orlistat coupled with a low cal diet found that those on the drug were 66 per cent more likely to lose five per cent of their body weight compared with those on placebo. They were also 90 per cent more likely to drop ten per cent of their body weight.

Patients with type 2 diabetes or other risk factors also had the benefit of reduced cholesterol levels. Orlistat does, however, produce some uncomfortable gastrointestinal side effects, because it reduces the absorption of fat. Studies comparing orlistat with other weight-loss drugs would now be very useful, the researchers say.

Source
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition December 2004