1/59. Prescription medications: a modifiable contributor to obesity.BACKGROUND: While usually not the only factor in obese patients, prescription medications, which may increase appetite or body weight, can be important in some individuals. The cause of weight gain in such cases may go unrecognized or lead to cessation of medication with or without the practitioner's knowledge or approval. methods: We found illustrative cases among patients treated at the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, searched medline and the Micromedex Drug Information database, and organized this information by drug mechanism and indications for use. RESULTS: Most reports of medication-induced weight gain are anecdotal or gleaned from clinical trials. Notable offenders include hormones (especially corticosteroids and insulinotropic agents), and psychoactive medications (especially tricyclic antidepressants, lithium, and some antipsychotics). CONCLUSIONS: Medication-related increases in appetite and body weight are under-recognized and cause noncompliance with pharmacotherapy. A high index of awareness of the known mechanisms by which medications can lead to weight gain has the potential to prevent most medication-related contributions to weight gain and obesity.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = drug (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/59. Effect of orlistat on blood cyclosporin concentration in an obese heart transplant patient.OBJECTIVE: We detected markedly decreased cyclosporin blood levels in a heart-transplanted patient after the gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor orlistat was accidentally added to the treatment program to control for his obesity. Therefore, we determined cyclosporin plasma concentration time kinetics with and without orlistat reexposition in this patient. methods: plasma concentration time kinetics of whole blood cyclosporin levels in an obese heart-transplant patient were measured using a standard monoclonal fluorescence polarisation immunoassay. Results were obtained in hourly intervals up to 12 h without and with co-therapy of 3 x 120 mg orlistat (Xenical, Roche Ltd., switzerland). The orlistat re-exposition was started the day before taking blood samples. RESULTS: Cyclosporin trough levels (98 ng/ml vs 52 ng/ml), maximum concentrations (532 ng/ml vs 74 ng/ml) and the area under the blood drug concentration-time curve (2832 ng h ml-1 vs 700 ng h ml-1) were greatly reduced with orlistat. CONCLUSIONS: Orlistat markedly decreased blood cyclosporin concentrations, possibly due to an interference with its absorption in the small intestine. To avoid potential dangerous under-immunosuppression, orlistat should not be used in patients taking cyclosporin.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = drug (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/59. hiv-1 protease inhibitor-associated partial lipodystrophy: clinicopathologic review of 14 cases.BACKGROUND: A novel type of acquired partial lipodystrophy resulting from chronic treatment with hiv-1 protease inhibitor drugs has recently been described. OBJECTIVE: We studied the clinical and histopathologic features of a series of patients with hiv-1 protease inhibitor-associated lipodystrophy to evaluate the frequency of associated abnormalities. methods: The study group consisted of 14 consecutive HIV-infected patients receiving treatment with hiv-1 protease inhibitors, who experienced partial lipodystrophy. Clinical (including anthropometric data) and histopathologic findings, as well as biochemical and virologic data, were evaluated. RESULTS: A significant loss of fat in the face and extremities was associated with fat deposition on the abdomen, breast, and dorsocervical fat pad. Central obesity was frequently present. Histopathologic features disclosed a peculiar type of involutional lipodystrophy. hypertriglyceridemia was detected in 78.5% of patients. Low serum levels of cholesterol-high-density lipoprotein and high cholesterol-very-low-density lipoprotein were noted. hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia, or hyperinsulinemia were occasionally detected. CONCLUSION: hiv-1 protease inhibitor-associated lipodystrophy represents a new entity with peculiar clinical and histopathologic features. Metabolic associated abnormalities may imply a risk of future atherogenic complications.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = drug (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/59. Treatment of affective disorder and obesity with topiramate.OBJECTIVE: To report a case of weight loss and mood stabilization in a patient being treated with the antiepileptic drug topiramate. CASE SUMMARY: A 37-year-old obese white woman with affective instability and obesity was being treated with adjunctive topiramate therapy. The patient lost 10 kg over 10 weeks of treatment with topiramate and improved clinically, as evidenced by a reduction in the number of times that she had to be admitted to a management unit for constant observation, and a decrease in the number of times that mechanical restraints or medication interventions were required for aggressive outbursts. Furthermore, the patient successfully completed two home visits while receiving topiramate therapy and was out of the hospital on her third home visit at the time of this writing. DISCUSSION: This case further strengthens previous reports that topiramate may be useful in treating affective disorders as well as inducing weight loss in a patient population in which weight gain is common. The patient discussed in this case report had no acute illnesses or changes in health status, no changes in diet, and no changes in her medications that could have accounted for the sudden weight loss. In addition, the patient's behavior did not improve until topiramate was added as adjunctive therapy of valproic acid, citalopram, and chlorpromazine during an adequate trial period. CONCLUSIONS: Controlled studies need to be performed to evaluate the use of topiramate in the psychiatric population and, in particular, the benefits of topiramate therapy in psychiatric patients with an additional diagnosis of obesity.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = drug (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/59. Body habitus alterations in HIV-infected women treated with combined antiretroviral therapy.Fat distribution alterations are among the most frequent and unexpected side effects of combined antiretroviral therapy. They may occur in patients receiving protease inhibitor-containing regimens and those treated with combinations of only nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. The broad spectrum of body fat alterations, which are variably associated with metabolic abnormalities, raises the question as to whether they represent different components of the same syndrome or are manifestations of different pathogenetic mechanisms. Recent clinical evidence is consistent with a higher risk of developing body fat alterations in females. We here report three different aspects of body habitus changes in women treated with various antiretroviral regimens and describe their short-term follow-up. We also discuss the possible pathogenetic implications and the role of different drug classes according to present knowledge.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = drug (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/59. A case of obesity, diabetes and hypertension treated with very low calorie diet (VLCD) followed by successful pregnancy with intrauterine insemination (IUI).The patient was a 32-year-old obese woman with a history of type 2 diabetes and hypertension for 6 years. Although she was treated with antihypertensive agents and intensive insulin therapy, her hyperglycemia was difficult to control. She wanted to have a baby but pregnancy was not recommended because her diabetes was under poor control and the use of antihypertensive medication. To achieve good control of obesity, diabetes and hypertension, she was admitted to our clinical department for weight reduction using very low calorie diet (VLCD). During VLCD she had a 19.8 kg reduction in body weight and her blood glucose and blood pressure were in good control without the use of drugs. Five months later, she became pregnant after the fourth trial of intrauterine insemination (IUI) and gave birth to a female baby under insulin therapy. This is the first report that showed the usefulness of VLCD for prepregnant control of glucose metabolism and blood pressure in an obese hypertensive patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = drug (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/59. Detection of insomnia in primary care.Insomnia is a widespread condition with diverse presentations. Detection and diagnosis of insomnia present a particular challenge to the primary care physician. patients seldom identify their sleep habits as the source of the complaints for which they are seeking treatment. Insomnia may be the result of many different medical or psychiatric illnesses or the side effects of medications or legal or illegal recreational drugs. Insomnia has a serious impact on daily activities and can cause serious or fatal injuries. With ever-increasing competition with sleep from 24-hour television broadcasts from hundreds of channels and the internet, as well as more traditional distractions of late-night movies, clubs, and bars, we have become a society that sleeps 25% less than our ancestors did a century ago. We have no evidence, however, that we require less sleep than they did. This article presents strategies for detecting and diagnosing insomnia.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = drug (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/59. Digestive hemorrhage caused by a Meckel's diverticulum in a metformin-treated patient: is there any connection?An obese patient, not diabetic, treated with metformin for some weeks, was referred to us with severe inferior digestive hemorrhage, diagnosed with Meckel's diverticulum. metformin is described as a glucose-lowering agent for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and as antiobesity drug, though results achieved with this last indication are not conclusive. But metformin has fibrinolytic features by means of diminished plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 activity. Although no coagulation study was done and the Meckel's diverticulum is normally associated with bleeding, the particular intensity of the following hemorrhage may have been favored by metformin.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = drug (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/59. Acute psychosis due to the interaction of legal compounds--ephedra alkaloids in 'vigueur fit' tablets, caffeine in 'red bull' and alcohol.A short-lasting episode of acute psychosis in a 32-year-old male which followed the consumption of alcohol, caffeine and 'vigueur fit' tablets containing ephedra alkaloids is reported. Less than two days after the event, a urine sample contained 22 microg/ml of ephedrine and 5 microg/ml of pseudoephedrine. Despite detailed pharmacological evidence being given at a jury trial, he was convicted of assault and trespass and was fined pounds sterling 16,000. An earlier incident involving misbehaviour on an aircraft again involving alcohol and ephedrine resulted in a conviction and a court order to provide twice weekly urine tests for alcohol for a period of six months. He stopped taking the alkaloid tablets after the second incident. There was no history of aberrant behaviour in this man outwith the period when taking these tablets. ephedra alkaloids may cause psychosis and their effects can be exaggerated by interaction with caffeine and ethanol. To protect the public, the use of stimulant drugs in over-the-counter weight control programmes should be prescription only and the package insert should include a warning on the dangers of concomitant use of ethanol.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = drug (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/59. syndrome of lipodystrophy, hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, and diabetes in treated patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection.OBJECTIVE: To describe the syndrome of lipodystrophy, hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, and diabetes in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection treated with protease inhibitor drugs. methods: This is a case series of patients referred from an infectious disease clinic to a diabetes-endocrinology clinic in an academic medical center because of severe metabolic problems that occurred during the course of otherwise-successful treatment of HIV infection. The clinical course, abnormalities on physical examination, laboratory data, and complications are described and analyzed. The pathogenesis of the syndrome is discussed and compared with that of type 2 diabetes, lipoatrophic diabetes, and mouse models of lipodystrophy. RESULTS: In six male patients receiving antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection, a syndrome of lipoatrophy of the face, legs, and buttocks, hyperlipidemia (predominantly hypertriglyceridemia), and type 2 diabetes mellitus was noted. Two patients had pronounced abdominal obesity, in contrast to their thin extremities. Five of the six patients were receiving protease inhibitor drugs, which have been thought to contribute to metabolic abnormalities. In two patients, ischemic heart disease had developed. CONCLUSION: protease inhibitors frequently cause insulin resistance and lipoatrophy in subcutaneous adipose tissue. These abnormalities are associated with visceral adiposity, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and cardiovascular consequences and represent an important and unsolved problem in the treatment of HIV-infected patients.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = drug (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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