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Weight-Loss Drug Is Also Good for Reducing Diabetes Risk, Study Suggests

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If you’re interested in trying lorcaserin for weight loss, we have some good news for you: Recent research has found that this weight-loss drug can actually help reduce your risk of developing diabetes. As you may be aware, lorcaserin is an appetite suppressant that is designed to increase the sensation of fullness after a meal and reduce hunger before meals. And now, it seems like lorcaserin may lead to some pretty impressive health benefits long after you’re done eating.

An October 2018 study, published in The Lancet, analyzed 12,000 overweight patients from February 2014 through to November 2015 and followed them for a median time of 3.3 years. Results showed that lorcaserin reduced the risk of incident diabetes by 19 percent in patients with prediabetes. Researchers also discovered that lorcaserin increased the rates of remission of high blood sugar. Furthermore, researchers found that even patients who already had diabetes had a reduced risk of kidney complications from their condition after taking lorcaserin. This certainly isn’t news we’re used to hearing in regard to weight-loss drug success!

So why did this weight-loss drug in particular help so many people out? As researchers pointed out, there is a direct relationship between increased body weight and the risk of diabetes. And that brings us to something that separates lorcaserin from other weight-loss drugs: It actually works to help people drop those extra pounds in the first place. 

Lorcaserin for Weight Loss

An August 2018 study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at 12,000 overweight adults and how lorcaserin affected their weight-loss goals and heart health over a median time period of 3.3 years. Researchers randomly assigned participants to take 10 mg lorcaserin twice per day, or a matching placebo pill. In the meantime, researchers also instructed all participants to eat healthily and exercise. 

After a year had passed, 39 percent of the folks taking lorcaserin for weight loss had already lost at least 5 percent of their body weight. Even more impressive? A whopping 15 percent of the people taking lorcaserin had lost 10 percent of their body weight at the one-year mark. Meanwhile, only 17 percent of the group taking the placebo pill lost 5 percent of their body weight after a year, and just 5 percent of them lost 10 percent their of body weight. According to researchers, the differences between these two groups remained significant after about 3.3 years of follow-up. Additionally, researchers found that this weight-loss drug was not linked with any increased risk of heart problems, unlike other medications out there.

The fact that this same drug was not linked to any increased risks for cardiovascular problems — as many other weight-loss drugs have been — makes this first-of-its-kind study even more exciting.

“We have been able to show for the first time that this weight loss drug does what it is intended to do,” said investigator Erin Bohula, MD, in a press release. “It helps people lose weight without causing an increase in major adverse cardiovascular events in a population at higher risk for heart attacks and strokes.”

It’s worth keeping in mind that lorcaserin may not be appropriate for everyone trying to lose weight. For instance, it’s not approved for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and it should be used with caution for patients with congestive heart failure. If you’re concerned about your weight, talk to your doctor about whether lorcaserin might be the right option for you.

Next, learn about the tastiest superfoods that can help you live longer in the video below:

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