Effects of the sibutramine therapy on pulmonary artery pressure in obese patients.
OBJECTIVE
Obesity is a major global public health problem. Previous drugs (dexfenfluramine and fenfluramine) used for the treatment of obesity have been withdrawn due to various cardiac side effects. Sibutramine is an anti-obesity agent. The purpose of this study was to assess cardiac valve disease and pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) of the patients who used once daily doses of sibutramine.


METHODS
One hundred and six obese patients (51 men and 55 women) determined to have minimal tricuspid regurgitation (TR) on echocardiographic examination were included in the study. All patients had a complete physical examination, complete blood count and measurement of lipid parameters, and echocardiography was performed by which cardiac valves and PAP were evaluated. After the mean duration of 24-week of follow up, all examinations were repeated for each patient.


RESULTS
The drug was well tolerated by all patients for the follow-up period. A significant weight loss was recorded in all patients compared to the baseline values (93.1 +/- 9.6 kg vs. 85.8 +/- 7.7 kg, p<0.001). Blood pressures and heart rate of the patients increased compared to the baseline measurements (systolic 122.3 +/- 8.5 vs. 124 +/- 10.2 mmHg, p=0.128, diastolic 79.3 +/- 4.7 vs. 80 +/- 5.7 mmHg, p=0.42 and heart rate 79.5 +/- 6.5 vs. 85 +/- 5.7 beats/min, p<0.001). Echocardiographically determined aortic or mitral valve dysfunction appeared in none of the patients. PAP lightly increased after the treatment but the difference between pre and post-treatment values was not found statistically significant (14.7 +/- 1.8 vs. 16.3 +/- 1.6 mmHg, p=0.06).


CONCLUSIONS
A 24-week treatment with sibutramine does not affect heart valves and pulmonary artery pressure.
Guven
A
A
Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Turkey. aytekinguven@hotmail.com
Koksal
N
N
Cetinkaya
A
A
Sokmen
G
G
Ozdemir
R
R
D000328:Adult; D001067:Appetite Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003503:Cyclobutanes / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects
D001067:Appetite Depressants; D003503:Cyclobutanes; D008055:Lipids; C058254:sibutramine