Type 2 Diabetes - A Drug to Help With Weight Loss in Diabetes?

About one-third of adults in the United States are obese, making them vulnerable to Type 2 diabetes and heart and blood vessel disease. Normalizing weight, or even losing 5 to 10 percent of body weight, can help ward off receiving a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, or control it in people who have already been diagnosed with the condition.

Lorcaserin is a new medication for weight control. It works by stimulating areas of the brain responsible for your appetite. It is recommended for obese people and overweight individuals with other related medical conditions, such as heart disease or Type 2 diabetes. Studies are being performed to determine whether it is safe and effective.

Research on Type 2 diabetics: Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, United States, looked at the use of Lorcaserin for weight loss in people diagnosed with this form of diabetes. Their study, published in the journal Obesity in March 2012, included 604 Type 2 diabetics, who took either Lorcaserin or a placebo for one year.
At the end of the study,

• 5 percent of the diabetics taking 10 mg of Lorcaserin twice a day lost at least 5 percent of their body weight,
• 7 percent of those taking 10 mg once a day lost at least 5 percent of their body weight, and only
• 1 percent of those taking a placebo lost at least 5 percent by themselves.

To put it another way, the average weight loss of those taking the medication twice a day was 4.5 percent, while the average weight loss of patients taking it once a day was 5.0 percent, versus a weight loss of only 1.5 percent for those taking a placebo.

The HbA1c percentage went down:

• 0 in diabetics taking Lorcaserin once and day, and
• 9 in those taking Lorcaserin twice a day, versus
• 4 for those diabetics who took the placebo.

Blood sugar levels, decreased an average of:

• 4 mg/dL (1.6 mmol/L) for those taking the medication once a day,
• 4 mg/dL (1.5 mmol/L) for those taking it twice a day, and
• 9 mg/dL (0.7 mmol/L) for the diabetics taking the placebo.

Side effects included low back pain, inflamed nose and throat, and nausea.

From the above results it was concluded taking Lorcaserin was associated with both weight loss and improvement in blood sugar control in people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
Anyone having difficulty attempting to control obesity or their excess weight, especially if they have Type 2 diabetes or a family history of diabetes, might consider discussing Lorcaserin with their doctor.

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