Some kids should be on cholesterol drugs: study

From CTV News:
Children eight years of age or older should be treated with cholesterol medication if they are found to have high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or so-called bad cholesterol, a new report says.

The new recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics is a drastic step toward preventing cardiovascular disease among at-risk children, including those with high cholesterol.

CTV medical consultant Dr. Marla Shapiro said the recommendation to medicate kids with cholesterol drugs should not come as a surprise, given the dramatic rise in obesity among children.

"We're at the point where a large, respected pediatric society, which happens to be the American Pediatric Society, is taking a stand and really saying that with the rising epidemic of obesity, we know that in youth and young children this will translate into premature heart disease and stroke in the years to come," Shapiro told CTV Newsnet. ...more

Psychiatric drugs causing weight gain: doctors

From the Vancouver Sun:
The very drugs millions of Canadians are taking to get through their day can cause dramatic weight gain, doctors are warning.

Psychiatric drug-related weight gain "is a huge problem," says Dr. David Lau, chair of the diabetes and endocrine research group at the University of Calgary and president of Obesity Canada.

"You can see patients gaining 10, 20, 30, 40 pounds," Lau says.

Not everyone taking antidepressants, mood stabilizers or newer generation antipsychotics will gain weight, he stressed. What's more, he said new antipsychotics, so-called "atypical antipsychotics" have been "tremendous in terms of bringing back the functionality of people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and depression." ...more

Discovery could lead to 'tighter tummy' drug

From the Saskatoon Star Phoenix:
British scientists have discovered proteins that allow the gut to expand to make way for food, a finding that could lead to a drug for "tighter tummies" and a chemical alternative to stomach-shrinking surgery.

The human stomach can relax and expand to 25-times its normal "resting" volume, which explains why "we can pack in our Christmas dinner or our Thanksgiving dinner, or whatever festival we choose to think of," says Brian King, a senior lecturer in physiology at University College London.

King has identified receptors for proteins that relax the muscles of the gut. His team is testing different chemicals that would block these receptors and prevent the stomach from expanding, so that people would eat less and feel fuller, faster. ...more

Anti-obesity drugs provide only modest weight loss

From CTV News:
Anti-obesity medications can only help obese patients lose a "modest" amount of weight, report Canadian researchers in a review of a group of studies on the long-term effectiveness of the drugs.

The researchers from the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary reviewed 30 placebo-controlled studies in which adults took anti-obesity drugs for a year or longer. ...more

Over-the-counter diet pill goes on sale in U.S.

I remember when Xenical, the prescription version of orlistat, was introduced in Canada. It was heavily hyped, but because of price, lack of noticeable benefits and bad side effects it mostly faded out of view. I suspect the OTC version will face the same fate. A few people will benefit from this treatment and lose some weight. However, the majority of patients will try it, and then realize that you really do have to cut your fat intake or else you get nasty bowel-related side effects. As soon as they realize it's not a magic pill or when they soil their pants, they'll stop using it. I doubt we'll see it in Canada anytime soon.

From CTV News:
Canadian health officials watched closely on Friday as Alli, the first over-the-counter diet pill approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, went on sale south of the border.

The drug, which reduces the amount of fat absorbed by the body after a meal by roughly 25 per cent, is available in Canada under a different name, but still requires a prescription.

"It's been around for quite a long time," Yoni Freedhoff of the Bariatric Medical Institute, an Ottawa-based weight loss centre, told CTV News.

"Studies show that people taking it for two years lose up to eight kilograms. But the way it works, of course, is by either delaying or blocking the absorption of fat in the gut. And the way it blocks it is, well, it comes out -- 'fast' is a good objective to use." ...more