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Obesity: sibutramine linked to cardiac disorder

New evidence confirms that sibutramine has an unfavourable risk-benefit balance, with sometimes severe, even fatal, adverse effects.

Sibutramine is marketed as a treatment for obesity, despite its long-known unfavourable risk-benefit balance. A report on adverse cardiovascular effects linked to sibutramine was published by the Canadian drug regulatory authority.

Sibutramine is an anorectic belonging to the amphetamine family, whose adverse effects it shares, as well as having its own: arterial hypertension, neuropsychological, gastrointestinal and sometimes fatal cardiovascular disorders, etc.

Between 2001 and 2006, 65 cases of cardiovascular adverse effects were reported in Canada. Contributory factors to cardiovascular disorders in patients taking sibutramine included a cardiovascular history, combination with another amphetamine, bupropion (sold as an aid to quitting smoking), or with some antidepressants, such as fluoxetine or paroxetine. This evidence confirms that it is better to avoid sibutramine whose risk-benefit balance is unfavourable, in particular in patients with a cardiovascular risk or a risk of drug interactions.

©Prescrire April 2008

Source: "Sibutramine et troubles cardiaques : gare aux interactions", Rev Prescrire 2008; 28 (294) 274.

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