Depression Treatment Proves Useful in Weight Loss
Suggested lead: A drug approved for treatment of depression and for smoking cessation might also help you lose weight. Tom Britt has more.
The drug buproprion, better known as Wellbutrin, was first prescribed to treat depression. Then it was found to help smokers kick the habit, and was sold for that purpose under the name Zyban. Now, a study at Duke University Medical Center shows buproprion also helps with weight loss. Dr. Kishore Gadde headed up the two-year study of 50 women.
"The most gratifying result from the study is that we've not only seen weight loss at eight weeks, we've seen the weight loss continue up to six months and even one year. And there was significant weight loss at two years."
Buproprion appears to act on the dopamine receptors. Those same receptors have been shown to play a role in drug addiction “ and now in eating.
"What some people have said is that while on the drug they were able to achieve satisfaction and pleasure with smaller portions of food - which may be the dopamine effect of the drug."
Buproprion has not yet been approved by the FDA as a weight-loss drug, and Gadde says he's not sure if the manufacturer has any plans to pursue that possibility. I'm Tom Britt for Medminute.
Gadde says he doesn't know if the maker of buproprionwill now seek FDA approval to market the drug as an aid to weight loss.
Cut 2...question there...:18 ( Preview this in a WAV file in 16-bit mono. )
"From my perspective,this is just a scientific study. I wanted to see whether the drug that has effects on dopamine and norepinephrine without effects on serotonin would actually help people to lose weight and it did. So I've answered the scientific question there."
contact sources : Dr. Kishore Gadde , (919) 668-0208