XENICAL Professional - Health Benefits of Weight Loss: Hypertension


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	> Hypertension
	> Dyslipidemia
	> Understanding Obesity

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Weight loss improves health in hypertensive patients. In a review of long-term studies of clinical effects of weight loss, the author observes, "Patients with [mild] hypertension can attain a clinically significant decrease in blood pressure or even achieve normal blood pressure long before achieving their ideal body weight." ⁴⁷ In a comprehensive review, another author notes, "A loss of only 10% of initial body weight has been shown to reduce blood pressure significantly in overweight adults, and weight loss has been shown to prevent blood pressure elevation in individuals at risk for developing hypertension." ⁵

XENICAL is indicated for obesity management in patients with an initial body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more and in patients with a BMI of 27 or more in the presence of other risk factors (eg, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia). After 6 months, 72% of patients lost 5% or more of their initial body weight, with a mean loss of 23 lbs. Weight loss may also reduce or eliminate the need for antihypertensive drug therapy in patients with mild hypertension. A major review found that "long-term studies have confirmed the effectiveness of weight reduction in reducing blood pressure and enabling some patients to become normotensive without the use of antihypertensive drugs and others to reduce the dosage of required drugs or the number of drugs taken." ⁴⁷

Specific Health Benefits:

Population with Abnormal (Untreated) Risk Factors at Randomization

Weight Loss with XENICAL Plus Diet: Improved Blood Pressure

In the population with abnormal blood pressure at baseline (systolic BP >140 mm Hg), the change in systolic blood pressure from randomization to 1 year was greater for patients on XENICAL plus diet (-10.89 mm Hg) than for patients on placebo plus diet (-5.07 mm Hg). Patients with diastolic blood pressure >90 mm Hg on XENICAL plus diet also had greater results in diastolic blood pressure (-7.9 mm Hg) than those on placebo plus diet did (-5.5 mm Hg).

The long-term effects of XENICAL (orlistat) on morbidity and mortality associated with obesity have not been established.

Managing Patients with Obesity-Related Comorbidities

More about Obesity as a Clinical Condition

Weight loss may also reduce or eliminate the need for anti-hypertensive drug therapy in patients with mild hypertension.