Acomplia and US clinical trial results
US researchers have found that the appetite suppressant Acomplia helps reducing weight and maintaining the desired body shape for up to two years. In about two years using Acomplia, test participants have shown an average 16-pound weight loss. About 40% of the patients have managed to lose 10% of their body weight.
Acomplia works by affecting certain receptors in the brain, which the researchers have found to be responsible for certain behavioral patterns such as overeating and nicotine dependency. It is one of a series of similar tests on Acomplia that have proven its effectiveness in reducing weight and smoking cessation. So it is a two-in-one drug that provides great benefits to those willing to change their health situation.
During his two-year study Luc Van Gaal, MD, has monitored and examined over 1,500 overweight individuals. The results of his studies were published at the American College of Cardiology 2005 Scientific Session. Van Gaal's studies were funded Sanofi-Aventis, the French pharmaceutical company that has developed Acomplia.
"Now we have the necessary data to state that Acomplia really helps obese and overweight individuals lose weight and maintain a stable weight loss over time, which is also beneficial for eliminating related health risks such as diabetes or hypertension," states Van Gaal, diabetology, metabolism, and clinical nutrition professor at the University of Antwerp, Belgium.
The study supposed three groups of participants, who were divided according to the medication they were taking: Acomplia (5 mg), high-dose Acomplia (20 mg), or a placebo. The patients weren't given any specific recommendations and guidelines in what concerns diet or exercise. The only requirement was that each would reduce his/her daily calorie intake by 600 calories.
In two year of the study, those taking 20 mg have displayed an average weight loss of 16 pounds and did not tend to regain the weight. Those who were taking 5mg of Acomplia have lost 10 pounds in average. The participants taking placebo have displayed an average weight loss of 5.5 pounds.
But what has inspired Van Gaal the most is that Acomplia also helped reduce several inches from the waistline. Expanded waistline is associated with certain health risks such as high blood pressure and diabetes. With every 2.2 pounds lost the waist circumference is reduced by about one inch. The group taking 20mg of Acomplia has shown an average waistline circumference drop of 3 inches, while the lower-dose group — about 1.3 inches. |
