Drug strategies for the treatment of obesity.
There are three major classes of drugs for the treatment of obesity: (i) inhibitors of food intake, which reduce hunger perception and, consequently, food intake; the most representative are centrally acting neurotransmitters and intestinal or neural satiety peptides; (ii) inhibitors of nutrient absorption, which reduce energy disposal through a peripheral gastrointestinal mechanism; and (iii) thermogenic drugs, which increase energy expenditure. At present, there are only two drugs for long-term use: sibutramine, an inhibitor of both serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake, and orlistat, a lipase inhibitor that targets pancreatic lipases and reduces absorption of dietary fat. New treatments and better drugs are expected in the near future because of the rapid expansion of research in body-weight regulation mechanisms.
Alemany
Marià
M
Centre Especial de Recerca en Nutricio i Ciencia dels Aliments, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
Remesar
Xavier
X
Fernández-López
Jose-Antonio
JA
D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001066:Appetite / Q000187:drug effects; D001067:Appetite Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D006728:Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy*
D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D001067:Appetite Depressants; D006728:Hormones