Losing weight A pill the easy way to weight loss?

Pill for weight loss convinces by results

Many people around the world have problems with their weight and are already overweight or overweight. Of course, it would be helpful for those affected if there was a kind of miracle pill that would allow them to easily get a healthy body weight. Researchers now looked at a weight loss pill and the results were promising.

The scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital found in their recent research that the drug Lorcaserin can effectively contribute to weight loss. The drug acts as an appetite suppressant, which causes a sense of satiety by stimulating the chemistry of the brain. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "New England Journal of Medicine".

Pill does not increase the risk of serious heart problems

A pill for weight loss was hailed as a possible holy grail in the fight against obesity after the study showed that the drug does not increase the risk of serious heart problems. The researchers said that lorcaserin is the first weight loss drug that is considered safe for long-term heart health. The drug is taken twice a day, acts as an appetite suppressant and stimulates satiety by stimulating brain chemistry, the study's authors explain.

The study involved 12,000 people

The experts examined 12,000 subjects who were either overweight or obese for their study. Participants were given either lorcaserine in the form of pills or a placebo, with intake of the weight loss pill resulting in an average weight loss of 4 kg in 40 months. Further investigations did not show any major effects in tests for heart valve damage.

Lifestyle change is an important part of losing weight

The new drug could really be a kind of holy grail of weight loss, but the change in lifestyle must continue to be an integral part, say the experts. In the UK, the availability of the drug depends on whether the weight loss pill is approved by the National Health Service's regulators. Currently, people with weight problems in the UK either receive support in the form of counseling or surgery. This could change if the appetite suppressant is allowed.

In America, the drug is already available

In America, the US Food and Drug Administration approved in 2012 the use of lorcaserin in some adults. The drug is sold there since 2013 under the name Belviq at a price of $ 220 to $ 290 per monthly ration.

Experts had serious concerns

The study on the long-term effects of the pill has been Erin Bohula, an expert in cardiovascular medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard. Patients and their doctors were nervous about using medications to treat obesity for a good reason. Drugs of this type have a history that has serious complications. In addition to the negative impact on the heart, there were also concerns that weight loss drugs can lead to mental health problems.

How did the medication work??

Researchers found out that at one year, 39 percent of participants who received lorcaserin had lost at least five percent of their initial weight. In those who received placebos, only 17 percent lost the same amount in the same period. The drug also affected the onset of diabetes. Lorcaserin-taking people rarely developed diabetes. In addition, heart valve damage tests were performed on 3,270 participants. However, no significant differences were found in heart valve damage rates. Twenty-one lorcaserin subjects reported suicidal thoughts compared to 11 subjects given placebos. (As)