Evidence map›Paper›PMID 18006966›Full record

SynthesisBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2007

Long term pharmacotherapy for obesity and overweight: updated meta-analysis.

Diana Rucker, Raj Padwal, Stephanie K Li, Cintia Curioni, David C W Lau

Erratum issuedOpen access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2007. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 221 papers, 16 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
221citing papers in PubMed, 16 pooled it
56.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

221 citing papers in PubMed, 16 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 795 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2025
    Guideline
  2. Pharmacotherapy for obesity management in adults: 2025 clinical practice guideline update.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2025
    Guideline
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Guideline
  6. Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Obesity in adults: a clinical practice guideline.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2020 · on this map
    Guideline
  9. Guideline
  10. Guideline
  11. Pooled it
  12. Pedometer intervention and weight loss in overweight and obese adults with Type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis.Diabetic medicine : a journal of the British Diabetic Association · 2016
    Pooled it
  13. Guideline
  14. Pooled it
  15. Pooled it
  16. Metformin for olanzapine-induced weight gain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2011 · on this map
    Pooled it
  17. Trial
  18. Outcomes from a Whole-Systems Ayurvedic Medicine and Yoga Therapy Treatment for Obesity Pilot Study.Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) · 2019
    Trial
  19. Trial
  20. Trial

161 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Diana RuckerDepartment of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Raj Padwal
Stephanie K Li
Cintia Curioni
David C W Lau
University of Alberta · CAFaculdade de Medicina de Petrópolis · BR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo summarise the long term efficacy of anti-obesity drugs in reducing weight and improving health status.

designUpdated meta-analysis of randomised trials. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, the Cochrane controlled trials register, the Current Science meta-register of controlled trials, and reference lists of identified articles. All data sources were searched from December 2002 (end date of last search) to December 2006. STUDIES REVIEWED: Double blind randomised placebo controlled trials of approved anti-obesity drugs used in adults (age over 18) for one year or longer.

results30 trials of one to four years' duration met the inclusion criteria: 16 orlistat (n=10 631 participants), 10 sibutramine (n=2623), and four rimonabant (n=6365). Of these, 14 trials were new and 16 had previously been identified. Attrition rates averaged 30-40%. Compared with placebo, orlistat reduced weight by 2.9 kg (95% confidence interval 2.5 kg to 3.2 kg), sibutramine by 4.2 kg (3.6 kg to 4.7 kg), and rimonabant by 4.7 kg (4.1 kg to 5.3 kg). Patients receiving active drug treatment were significantly more likely to achieve 5% and 10% weight loss thresholds. Orlistat reduced the incidence of diabetes and improved concentrations of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, and glycaemic control in patients with diabetes but increased rates of gastrointestinal side effects and slightly lowered concentrations of high density lipoprotein. Sibutramine improved [corrected] concentrations of high density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides [corrected] Rimonabant improved concentrations of high density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, blood pressure, and glycaemic control in patients with diabetes but increased the risk of mood disorders.

conclusionsOrlistat, sibutramine, and rimonabant modestly reduce weight, have differing effects on cardiovascular risk profiles, and have specific adverse effects.

Indexed as

Anti-Obesity AgentsDouble-Blind MethodHumansLactonesLong-Term CareObesityOrlistatOverweightRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAnti-Obesity AgentsLactonesOrlistat

Identifiers

PMID18006966
PMCPMC2128668
OpenAlexW2005136472

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.