After long wait of more than 13 years the US FDA has finally approved the drug to eradicate obesity as it has become a serious threat for patients and public health. It is claimed that this new dietary pill Belviq is being expected to revolutionize the fight against obesity.
But according to Dr. Atul Peters, Director of Minimal Access, Metabolic & Bariatric Surgeon, Primus Superspeciality Hospital, if obese people are anticipating it as a magical pill to lose weight then they must understand the difference that it works only on normal overweight populace and not on morbid obese people. This new drug is actually an addition to a reduced-calorie diet and exercise.
This drug works by activating the serotonin 2C receptor in the brain. Activation of this receptor helps a person to eat less and feel full after eating smaller amounts of food.
This new drug has certain limitations- Studies have shown that it reduces 5 percent of body weight and it is indicated only in adult patients with a BMI of 30 or more, or adults with a BMI of 27.
Dr. Atul Peters informs that in case someone fails to lose 5 percent of body weight even after 12 weeks of treatment, this drug should immediately be discontinued; as such patients are unlikely to achieve clinically meaningful weight loss with continued treatment.
According to experts this new drug may also cause serious harmful effects. The use of weightloss drug during pregnancy may lead to serious health problems; weight loss drug may also cause disturbances in attention or memory. In diabetics it can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), headache, back pain, cough and fatigue. While in non diabetic patients headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, dry mouth and constipation are common side effects of this drug. Treatment with weight loss drug may also cause serious side effects, including serotonin syndrome, particularly when taken with certain medicines that increase serotonin levels or activate serotonin receptors.
According to Dr. Atul Peters, This drug is not a supplement of surgery in chronic obesity. Since the drug has numerous drawbacks “ weight loss is only 5 percent. It is associated with significant complications, and needs to be taken on a regular basis.
Therefore due to its limitation moderate weight loss, medical experts, investors and analysts are worried about how well the drug will actually do.
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