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The weight-loss
drug Xenical (orlistat) helps obese patients with Type 2 diabetes
improve their cholesterol levels, according to researchers
at the University of Pittsburgh Obesity and Nutrition Research
Center.
Patients
with Type 2 diabetes who were given Xenical showed improvements
not only in loss of weight, but also in blood glucose (glycemic)
control and cardiovascular risk factors, including improvement
in their cholesterol levels, the researchers reported in the
journal Diabetes Care. The patients were also able to reduce
the amount of insulin and oral diabetes medication they needed
to take.
A total
of 535 patients participated in a one-year, double-blind study
and received insulin and Xenical or insulin plus a placebo.
Both groups followed the same reduced calorie diet.
Patients
given Xenical showed greater improvements in total cholesterol,
LDL-cholesterol, and ratio of LDL to high-density lipoprotein
(HDL) cholesterol than patients given a placebo. Changes in
serum triglycerides and HDL-concentration did not differ significantly
between the two groups, according to the study.
Source:
Medical Week staff,
week of May 26, 2002
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