LakeMountD
Doctor Science
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Effects of the cannabinoid-1 receptor blocker rimonabant on weight reduction and cardiovascular risk factors in overweight patients: 1-year experience from the RIO-Europe study
Luc F Van Gaal, Aila M Rissanen, André J Scheen, Olivier Ziegler, Stephan Rössner, for the RIO-Europe Study Group*
Summary
Background In animal models, cannabinoid-1 receptor (CB1) blockade produces a lean phenotype, with resistance to
diet-induced obesity and associated dyslipidaemia. We assessed the effect of rimonabant, a selective CB1 blocker, on
bodyweight and cardiovascular risk factors in overweight or obese patients.
Methods
1507 patients with body-mass index 30 kg/m2 or greater, or body-mass index greater than 27 kg/m2 with
treated or untreated dyslipidaemia, hypertension, or both, were randomised to receive double-blind treatment with
placebo, 5 mg rimonabant, or 20 mg rimonabant once daily in addition to a mild hypocaloric diet (600 kcal/day deficit).
The primary efficacy endpoint was weight change from baseline after 1 year of treatment in the intention-to-treat
population.
Findings
Weight loss at 1 year was significantly greater in patients treated with rimonabant 5 mg (mean –3·4 kg [superdrol
5·7]; p=0·002 vs placebo) and 20 mg (–6·6 kg [7·2]; p0·001 vs placebo) compared with placebo (–1·8 kg [6·4]).
Significantly more patients treated with rimonabant 20 mg than placebo achieved weight loss of 5% or greater
(p0·001) and 10% or greater (p0·001). Rimonabant 20 mg produced significantly greater improvements than
placebo in waist circumference, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin resistance, and prevalence of the
metabolic syndrome. The effects of rimonabant 5 mg were of less clinical significance. Rimonabant was generally
well tolerated with mild and transient side effects.
Interpretation
CB1 blockade with rimonabant 20 mg, combined with a hypocaloric diet over 1 year, promoted significant
decrease of bodyweight and waist circumference, and improvement in cardiovascular risk factors.
This is a truly revolutionary drug that, most interestingly, was discovered thanks to pot heads. The fact that pot heads get the munchies drove scientists to probe into the human body and research the cannaboid response and what they found was nothing short of amazing. Not only is Rimonabant (Drug Name: Acomplia) a potent inhibitor of hunger, but it has many other great effects such as:
*Decreased Waist Circumfrence on a hypocaloric diet
*Decreased Insulin Resistance (possibly caused by the better diet)
*Increase in HDL cholesterol
*Despite the increase in HDL cholesterol, lowered Triglycerides!
*Increased Glucose Tolerance
*Increased Adiponectin, which is defined as: Adiponectin (also referred to as Acrp30, apM1) is a protein hormone that modulates a number of metabolic processes, including glucose regulation and fatty acid catabolism. Adiponectin is exclusively secreted from adipose tissue into the bloodstream and is very abundant in plasma relative to many hormones. Levels of the hormone are inversely correlated with body mass index (BMI). The hormone plays a role in metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and atherosclerosis.
Seems that 20mg is the way to go.
Below are pictures that accompanied the study.
Luc F Van Gaal, Aila M Rissanen, André J Scheen, Olivier Ziegler, Stephan Rössner, for the RIO-Europe Study Group*
Summary
Background In animal models, cannabinoid-1 receptor (CB1) blockade produces a lean phenotype, with resistance to
diet-induced obesity and associated dyslipidaemia. We assessed the effect of rimonabant, a selective CB1 blocker, on
bodyweight and cardiovascular risk factors in overweight or obese patients.
Methods
1507 patients with body-mass index 30 kg/m2 or greater, or body-mass index greater than 27 kg/m2 with
treated or untreated dyslipidaemia, hypertension, or both, were randomised to receive double-blind treatment with
placebo, 5 mg rimonabant, or 20 mg rimonabant once daily in addition to a mild hypocaloric diet (600 kcal/day deficit).
The primary efficacy endpoint was weight change from baseline after 1 year of treatment in the intention-to-treat
population.
Findings
Weight loss at 1 year was significantly greater in patients treated with rimonabant 5 mg (mean –3·4 kg [superdrol
5·7]; p=0·002 vs placebo) and 20 mg (–6·6 kg [7·2]; p0·001 vs placebo) compared with placebo (–1·8 kg [6·4]).
Significantly more patients treated with rimonabant 20 mg than placebo achieved weight loss of 5% or greater
(p0·001) and 10% or greater (p0·001). Rimonabant 20 mg produced significantly greater improvements than
placebo in waist circumference, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin resistance, and prevalence of the
metabolic syndrome. The effects of rimonabant 5 mg were of less clinical significance. Rimonabant was generally
well tolerated with mild and transient side effects.
Interpretation
CB1 blockade with rimonabant 20 mg, combined with a hypocaloric diet over 1 year, promoted significant
decrease of bodyweight and waist circumference, and improvement in cardiovascular risk factors.
This is a truly revolutionary drug that, most interestingly, was discovered thanks to pot heads. The fact that pot heads get the munchies drove scientists to probe into the human body and research the cannaboid response and what they found was nothing short of amazing. Not only is Rimonabant (Drug Name: Acomplia) a potent inhibitor of hunger, but it has many other great effects such as:
*Decreased Waist Circumfrence on a hypocaloric diet
*Decreased Insulin Resistance (possibly caused by the better diet)
*Increase in HDL cholesterol
*Despite the increase in HDL cholesterol, lowered Triglycerides!
*Increased Glucose Tolerance
*Increased Adiponectin, which is defined as: Adiponectin (also referred to as Acrp30, apM1) is a protein hormone that modulates a number of metabolic processes, including glucose regulation and fatty acid catabolism. Adiponectin is exclusively secreted from adipose tissue into the bloodstream and is very abundant in plasma relative to many hormones. Levels of the hormone are inversely correlated with body mass index (BMI). The hormone plays a role in metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and atherosclerosis.
Seems that 20mg is the way to go.
Below are pictures that accompanied the study.
