ROCHESTER, Minn., Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Obese patients with a specific genetic makeup had enhanced response to the weight loss drug sibutramine, U.S. researchers said.
However, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., also found that other people who lack these genetic factors lost little or no weight using the weight-loss drug.
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study measured the impact of two different dosage levels of sibutramine -- 10 mg or 15 mg daily -- combined with behavioral therapy for 12 weeks in 181 overweight or obese participants. Participants received structured behavioral therapy for weight management at four, eight and 12 weeks.
Lead author Dr. Michael Camilleri said previous research showed patients who received sibutramine and behavioral therapy lost significantly more weight than those who received placebo and the same behavioral therapy.
The study, published in the Gastroenterology, said researchers also confirmed that weight loss at four weeks was a significant predictor of weight at 12 weeks, even after adjusting for baseline weight, gender, body mass index and treatment.
Patients with a certain pattern of variations of the genes lost an average of 10 to 12 pounds over the 12-week study, and those with unfavorable gene variations did worse.
