Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30535651›Full record

Trial reportAdvances in therapy2019

Efficacy and Safety of Lipase Inhibitor Orlistat in Japanese with Excessive Visceral Fat Accumulation: 24-Week, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study.

Kohji Shirai, Toru Fujita, Michitaka Tanaka, Yuka Fujii, Masatsugu Shimomasuda, Soichi Sakai, Yoshishige Samukawa

Open access · hybridAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Advances in therapy, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 41% 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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Efficacy of Weight-Lowering Agents on Fat Distribution: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026
    Pooled it
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  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Kohji ShiraiDepartment of Internal Medicine, Mihama Hospital, Chiba, Japan.
Toru FujitaTaisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. too-fujita@taisho.co.jp.
Michitaka TanakaTaisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
Yuka FujiiTaisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
Masatsugu ShimomasudaTaisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
Soichi SakaiTaisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
Yoshishige SamukawaTaisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
Taisho Pharmaceutical (Japan) · JP

Funding

Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionOrlistat is an inhibitor of pancreatic lipase and is used as an anti-obesity drug in many countries. However, there are no data available regarding the effects of orlistat on visceral fat accumulation in Japanese subjects. Therefore, this comparative, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of orlistat in Japanese participants with excessive visceral fat accumulation and without dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension ("metabolic diseases").

methodsThe study population included Japanese participants with excessive visceral fat accumulation (waist circumference ≥ 85 cm in males and ≥ 90 cm in females, which corresponds to a visceral fat area of 100 cm

resultsVisceral fat area, waist circumference, and body weight were significantly reduced in the orlistat group (mean ± standard error, - 13.50 ± 1.52%, - 2.51 ± 0.25%, and - 2.79 ± 0.30%, respectively) compared to the placebo group (- 5.45 ± 1.50%, - 1.55 ± 0.26%, and - 1.22 ± 0.28%, respectively) at the last assessment. The main adverse reactions were defecation-related symptoms including oily spotting and flatus with discharge, resulting from the pharmacological effects of orlistat. Most adverse reactions were mild, and none were serious or severe.

conclusionOrlistat administration reduced visceral fat area, waist circumference, and body weight in Japanese participants with excessive visceral fat and without metabolic diseases. In addition, safety was confirmed with a tolerable profile. Orlistat may be useful to reduce excessive visceral fat accumulation when used in combination with diet and exercise.

trial registrationJapan Pharmaceutical Information Center identifier, JapicCTI-184005.

fundingTaisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Indexed as

ExerciseAdultAnthropometryAnti-Obesity AgentsBody Mass IndexBody WeightCombined Modality TherapyDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansIntra-Abdominal FatJapanMaleMiddle AgedObesityOrlistatAnti-Obesity AgentsOrlistatBody weightDouble-blindEfficacyJapaneseLipase inhibitorObesityOrlistatPlacebo-controlledRandomizedSafetyVisceral fatWaist circumference

Identifiers

PMID30535651
PMCPMC6318260
OpenAlexW2904034179

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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.