As society adopts a sedentary lifestyle coupled with increased energy intake, obesity continues to spread pervasively throughout the world. It poses a strong public health threat due to the development of related comorbidities in individuals, such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obstructive sleep apnea. Prior to the new millennium, treatment of obesity included lifestyle modifications or bariatric surgery. However, this alienated a large subset of the population who were unable to lose weight with behavioral changes alone but not obese enough to qualify for bariatric surgery. Thus, the need for an intermediate therapeutic method existed. Short-term pharmacotherapy, such as orlistat, was developed as a potential treatment option for weight loss. However, as the years passed, scientists began targeting the central nervous system (CNS) and gastrointestinal systems to develop long-term medications. As a result, liraglutide, lorcaserin, naltrexone/bupropion extended-release, and phentermine/
topiramate extended-release became FDA-approved for long-term treatment of obesity. Each drug acts on a specific part of the CNS to modulate appetite and cause decreased food intake in patients. Clinical trials conducted on these medications found phentermine/topiramate extended-release to cause the greatest weight loss. However, none of the medications emerged as a first-line treatment option for weight loss. With a myriad of side effects and contraindications, clinicians must practice personalized medicine to prescribe certain drugs for patients. Furthermore, because these medications have been relatively recently approved, research on long-term effects of these medications on the human body is not available. Despite this, the emergence of pharmacotherapy in conjunction with lifestyle modifications in treating obesity has been positive. It has created a necessary step in the direction of reducing obesity prevalence worldwide and thus a proactive step in promoting the health of individuals.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/30872 |
| Date | 03 July 2018 |
| Creators | Bapatla, Neha |
| Contributors | Offner, Gwynneth, Spencer, Jean |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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