title: Weight Loss Pharmacotherapy: Brief Summary of the Clinical Literature and Comments on Racial Differences.
abstract: The disparity in obesity rates between White, Black, and Hispanic individuals, especially women, is striking. Moreover, at any given body mass index or abdominal girth, incident diabetes is greater in Black, Hispanic and other racial-ethnic minorities than Whites. In addition to the growing health burden, the total costs of obesity in 2030 could exceed $500 billion (USD). Weight loss of 5%-15% from baseline can be attained with anti-obesity pharmacotherapy approved for long-term use in combination with lifestyle change. Weight loss of ≥ 5% is associated with medical benefits including reduction of incident diabetes and cardiovascular risk. While medical weight loss after one year or more in the US population is better than previously seen in many clinical trials, >60% of adults fail to sustain a 5% weight loss. Drug therapies approved for long-term weight loss may permit even more subjects to sustain healthful weight reduction.
authors.affiliation: 1. Care Coordination Institute, Greenville Health System; University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Greenville; Greenville, SC.
authors.forename: Brent M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Egan
authors.affiliation: 2. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics; University of South Carolina-Arnold School of Public Health; Columbia, SC.
authors.forename: Kellee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000208:ethnology*; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents
keywords: African American; Caucasian; Obesity; Pharmacotherapy; Weight Loss