Two drug obesity-effective treatment: study (AFP)

PARIS (AFP) - led a new treatment for obesity, two existing drugs combined the only long-term anti-obesity twice as much weight-loss drugs, according to a study released Monday approved.

A mixture of phentermine and topiramate, was sold under the brand name of TOPAMAX, shown in clinical studies, to be twice as effective as orlistat, which is commercialized in some countries as xenical or Alli said.

The drug combo seems additional health benefits, including improved "marker" or you have added indicators for blood pressure, sugar, fats and inflammation.

Phentermine drug in the United States is the short term to the most common prescribed weight.

Topiramate is an antiepileptic drugs for the treatment of epileptic seizures and migraine approved. It has been shown that to work well for weight loss in obese patients with type 2 diabetes aber-- alone-has been taken also cognitive and psychiatric side effects.

Lower doses with a controlled release mechanism, and in combination with other drugs taken would probably reduce these side effects, tests have shown.

Headed by Kishore Cadde of the Duke University Medical Centre, Durham, North Carolina, adults with at least two large health risk conducted the new study on 20 months with almost 2,500 overweight or obese symptoms.

The patients were divided into three groups.

One received a daily dose of 7.5 mg phentermine and 46 mg of topiramate, while a second group or 15 and 92 of the same medication, mg was given.

Look-alike placebos got the third group.

56 Weeks of treatment 8.1 kilos (18 pounds) group 10.2 kg (22 pounds) fell to the low-dose group, the average while you highly dosed shed.

Patients given placebos lost 1.4 kg (3.0 lb).

Overall, 62 percent of the patients of low-dose lost at least five percent of body weight, while 70 percent in the high-dose cohort of the same threshold exceeded.

Patients given placebos 1.4 kg (3.0 lb), with 21 percent barking lost five percent of their total weight.

The two-drug treatment was tolerated physically, well with only sporadic cases of dry mouth and constipation, according to the study, published by the Lancet is.

The high dosed group, but showed a higher drop-out rate due to the cognitive and psychiatric side effects.