Obesity is a serious public health problem, associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality.
One of the most common forms of obesity that affects nearly 30% of adult men is stomach obesity, where the fat is accumulated around the tummy. Two effective drugs available in the market that can help you combat obesity are Xenical and Reductil.
Xenical (Orlistat) and Reductil Sibutramine (Meridia) work by very different mechanisms of action - orlistat prevents fat absorption whereas sibutramine enhances satiety.
Weight loss efficacy
Xenical(Orlistat) may be slightly less effective than sibutramine in reducing body weight. Although orlistat and sibutramine undoubtedly produce weight loss, the effect is modest. Neither orlistat, nor sibutramine is able to induce large weight reduction in a majority of obese people.
Side effects
Two drugs have disparate tolerability profiles. Reductil is generically better tolerated than Xenical. However, sibutramine is contraindicated in people with coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, stroke, or inadequately controlled hypertension or those receiving psychiatric drugs.
The most common side effects with Xenical (Orlistat) are oily stools, flatus and fecal urgency. And with sibutramine side effetcs are headache, dry mouth and anorexia. Sibutramine can also increase blood pressure and heart rate.
What to Choose?
Both Reductil Sibutramine (Meridia) and Xenical (Orlistat) promote and maintain weight loss. Orlistat does not cause cardiovascular side effects and may be particularly useful for obese people with pre-existing cardiovascular disease.
On the other hand, the time frame for deciding if drug therapy is effective is 12 weeks for orlistat but only 4 weeks for sibutramine. This shorter time frame for evaluation with sibutramine allows more rapid treatment reconsideration.
The possibility of oily stools and discharge, the need for vitamin supplementation and a 3 times daily dosage schedule with orlistat can be bothersome or inconvenient. The once-daily dosage regimen with sibutramine is attractive but the potential for drug interactions or increased blood pressure, and contraindicatins in patients with cardiovascular disease and renal impairment, excludes a number of people from treatment.