Xenical Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Xenical, including details on orlistat, side-effects, obesity, weight loss, dieting.

Orlistat for obesity: benefits beyond weight loss.

Hsieh CJ, Wang PW, Liu RT, Tung SC, Chien WY, Chen JF, Chen CH, Kuo MC, Hu YH

Division of Edocrinology and Metabolosm, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 123 Ta-Pei Road, Niao-Sung Hsiang, Kaohsiung Hsien 83305, Taiwan. c2607c@ms56.hinet.net

Orlistat lowers lipids and improves insulin sensitivity, but its effect on other metabolic syndrome related parameters is not known. To assess its influence on adiponectin, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and other metabolic syndrome related parameters, this study enrolled 106 participants in a weight-reduction program and categorized them into a group of 51 who had been treated with orlistat 360 mg/day for one year and a group of 55 age and sex and body mass index (BMI) matched controls. The orlistat group had greater changes in BMI, % body fat (% BF), waist circumference, and insulin resistance, hs-CRP, leptin and adiponectin levels after one year on the program than the controls. After adjusting for % BF and waist circumference, change of serum leptin and adiponectin levels remained significantly different. It was found that orlistat could effectively manage obesity related co-morbidities, especially insulin resistance and atherosclerosis risk. It decreases leptin and increases adiponectin independent of % BF and waist circumference. Therefore, orlistat appears to have anti-diabetic and anti-atherogenic properties and may help prevent metabolic syndrome in the overweight people.

Published 28 December 2004 in Diabetes Res Clin Pract, 67(1): 78-83.
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