Patients taking obesity drug experience improvement in cardiovascular risk factors, study finds

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Patients who take a drug for losing weight may experience improvement in multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Alabama and published online in the American Journal of Cardiology, examined the use of Vivus' drug Qsymia (phentermine and topiramate) extended-release capsules, finding that use of the drug led to "significant" improvements in cholesterol, blood pressure and triglycerides in obese and overweight patients, particularly in those who lost 10% or more of their starting weight.

"This provides clear evidence that patients with hypertension or high cholesterol treated with Qsymia for one year experienced significant weight loss and clinically meaningful improvements in their underlying cardiovascular risk factors," director of the University of Alabama's vascular biology and hypertension program and study investigator Suzanne Oparil said. "The ability to improve underlying risk factors is another reason physicians should proactively discuss the medical treatment of obesity with their patients who have failed lifestyle modification alone."

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