title: Sibutramine lost and found.
abstract: Obesity has now been identified as a chronic disease, a global epidemic (globesity) and a serious public health issue that leads to reduced life expectancy, an increased risk for many serious medical conditions and enormous healthcare costs. The prevalence of obesity and overweight in Italy in 2000 was respectively 9% and 33%, and has grown by 25% over the last five years. Even moderate weight loss can improve obesity-related morbidity and mortality. In November 1997, the US Food and Drug Administration approved sibutramine, a serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, for the treatment of pathological obesity and the management and maintenance of weight loss. In March 2002, sibutramine was temporarily withdrawn from the Italian market on the basis of 47 adverse event reports received between April and December 2001. However, a worldwide review of efficacy and safety data has shown that the overall risk/benefit profile of sibutramine remains favourable, with the rate of fatal reports involving patients receiving sibutramine being 200 times less than the obese women's mortality rate in the Nurses' Health Study. There is strong evidence supporting the usefulness of the correct use of sibutramine in the management of obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Surgical Sciences, University of Verona, Italy. ottavio.bosello@univr.it
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bosello
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Carruba
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferrannini
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Rotella
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001067:Appetite Depressants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003503:Cyclobutanes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D011788:Quality of Life; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D001067:Appetite Depressants; D003503:Cyclobutanes; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; C058254:sibutramine