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Related Concept Videos

Lipid-Lowering Drugs: Statins and Miscellaneous Agents01:20

Lipid-Lowering Drugs: Statins and Miscellaneous Agents

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Hyperlipidemia, a medical condition often referred to as high cholesterol, is characterized by abnormally elevated levels of lipids in the bloodstream. When present in excess, these lipids, specifically cholesterol and triglycerides, can lead to serious health complications, often involving cardiovascular diseases. Illnesses like atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and pancreatitis have all been linked to untreated hyperlipidemia. This means controlling and regulating cholesterol and triglyceride...
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Lipids: Dietary Sources and Requirements01:18

Lipids: Dietary Sources and Requirements

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Lipids are an essential component of a balanced human diet. Triglycerides, which make up the majority of dietary lipids, are found in both saturated fats—commonly present in meat, dairy products, and certain tropical plants like coconut, and hydrogenated oils such as margarine and baking shortenings (trans fats)—and unsaturated fats, which are abundant in seeds, nuts, olive oil, and most vegetable oils. The main sources of cholesterol include egg yolks, various meats and organ...
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Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: α-Glucosidase Inhibitors01:19

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α-glucosidase inhibitors, including acarbose (Precose), miglitol (Glyset), and voglibose (Voglib) (primarily available in Asia), are drugs that control blood sugar levels by delaying the digestion of starch and disaccharides. They achieve this by inhibiting α-glucosidase enzymes in the intestine, which slow the absorption of carbohydrates in the intestine, which in turn leads to a prolonged release of the glucoregulatory hormone GLP-1 from intestinal L-cells.
Acarbose and miglitol are...
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Obesity01:24

Obesity

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The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to categorize individuals into weight ranges. It is calculated using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that poses health risks, often diagnosed with a BMI ≥ 30. This excess fat storage occurs when surplus dietary calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in...
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Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents01:23

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

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Atypical antidepressants, including bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (Serzone), trazodone (Desyrel), and vilazodone (Viibryd), offer unique mechanisms of action. Bupropion weakly inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, aiding depression treatment and smoking cessation, with a low risk of sexual dysfunction. Mirtazapine enhances serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission, leading to sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain. As a result, it helps treat...
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Dietary Connections

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In biological systems, most metabolic pathways are interconnected. The cellular respiration processes that convert glucose to ATP—such as glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, and the citric acid cycle—tie into those that break down other organic compounds. As a result, various foods—from apples to cheese to guacamole—end up as ATP. In addition to carbohydrates, food also contains proteins and lipids—such as cholesterol and fats. All of these organic compounds are used...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 30, 2025

Rapid Model to Evaluate the Anti-Obesity Potential of a Combination of Syzygium aromaticum Clove and Cuminun cyminum Cumin on C57BL6/j Mice Fed High-Fat Diet
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Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss.

Steven B Heymsfield1

  • 1Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA.

Gastroenterology Clinics of North America
|May 17, 2023
PubMed
Summary

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved safe and effective weight loss medications and devices. Many unproven weight loss supplements lack clinical evidence and pose safety risks.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Obesity Management
  • Regulatory Science

Background:

  • The market is saturated with numerous products claiming to promote weight loss through various physiological mechanisms.
  • Many of these products operate with minimal regulatory oversight, raising concerns about their efficacy and safety.
  • Patients are often susceptible to misinformation regarding weight loss solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the efficacy and safety of pharmacologic agents and devices approved by the FDA for overweight and obesity management.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of over-the-counter weight loss products based on systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
  • To inform healthcare practitioners about evidence-based weight management strategies and the risks associated with unverified supplements.

Main Methods:

Keywords:
DietObesityOverweightPrescription medicine

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  • Review of FDA-approved pharmacologic agents and drug-device combinations for weight management.
  • Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of non-FDA-approved dietary supplements and their ingredients.
  • Assessment of reported adverse reactions, hypersensitivity, and adulteration in the supplement market.

Main Results:

  • Six pharmacologic agents and one drug-device combination have received FDA approval for managing overweight and obesity.
  • Systematic reviews and meta-analyses indicate that most dietary supplements for weight loss lack meaningful clinical effectiveness.
  • Significant safety concerns exist for unregulated weight loss products, including adulteration and adverse reactions.

Conclusions:

  • FDA-approved pharmacologic and device-based treatments, alongside lifestyle changes and bariatric surgery, offer effective and safe weight management options.
  • Healthcare providers should counsel patients on the lack of evidence for many dietary supplements and guide them toward proven interventions.
  • Distinguishing between regulated medical treatments and unregulated supplements is crucial for patient safety and successful obesity management.