Effects of benfluorex in obese patients with metabolic disorders

Fifty obese (BMI = 40.1 +/- 1.5) subjects (21 men and 21 women; average age 38.6 +/- 3.8 years) were prescribed a 600 cal/day diet (carbohydrates 30 g, proteins 60 g, lipids 10 g). Thirty patients were also given benfluorex (three tablets/day) for six months (Group A), whereas the other 20 patients (Group B) were treated with the dietary measures only. Apart from grade II and III obesity, several patients suffered from dyslipidaemia (Group A: n = 10; Group B: n = 7), non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) (Group A: n = 4; Group B: n = 3) or IGT (Group A: n = 8; Group B: n = 6). The usual blood and biochemical tests and clinical examinations were carried out on Days 0, 90 and 180, together with the OGTT and glucagon test to determine blood glucose levels, IRI and CPR. There was no statistical difference between the weight loss of Group A and that of Group B. In Group A there was a statistically significant reduction (p less than 0.001) in total cholesterol, triglycerides, total/HDL-cholesterol and beta/alpha-lipoproteins and a significant increase in HDL-cholesterol and alpha-lipoproteins (p less than 0.001), whereas in Group B only a significant reduction in triglycerides (p less than 0.001) was observed. In NIDDM patients treated with benfluorex, normalisation of basal blood glucose levels was accompanied by an improvement in the OGTT blood glucose curve which was statistically significant relative to Group B. Benfluorex was well tolerated by all patients and no adverse event was reported.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)