Title:Current Updates in the Medical Management of Obesity
Volume: 6
Issue: 2
Author(s): Areej Khan, Shahzad Raza, Yusra Khan, Tulay Aksoy, Monis Khan, Yitzchak Weinberger and Joel Goldman
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Exenatide, metabolic syndrome, phentermine, pramlintide, orlistat, topiramate, Diabetes, endocannabinoid system, Melanin Concentrating Hormone
Abstract: Obesity is a chronic medical condition that is expected to become an indirect but leading cause of mortality and
morbidity. Obesity results in type 2 diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease.
These factors contribute to cardiovascular disease that is a leading cause of death. Therefore, the approach to obesity
therapy should be designed to reduce cardiovascular disease risk and mortality. Diet and lifestyle changes remain the cornerstones
of therapy for obesity, but the resultant weight loss is often small. For more effective weight loss, individuals
have shown to benefit from anti-obesity medications. Anti-Obesity therapy is considered for individuals with a body mass
index greater than 30 kg/m2 or ranging from 25 to 30 kg/m2, or individuals with co-morbid conditions. Recent anti-obese
medications affect biological mechanisms that suppress appetite and absorb nutrients to regulate body weight. In this review,
we discuss the FDA approved anti-obesity drugs and recent patents which include phentermine/topiramate, pramlintide,
lorcaserin, AOD9604, oleoyl-estrone, trk-beta antagonists and melanin concentrating hormone that can reduce adiposity
at the molecular level.
