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Weight Loss Pill Meridia Ups Heart Attack, Stroke

By webmaster on October 21, 2010 in

Study Shows RIsks Increase in People Who Already Have Heart Diseasemature man reading pill bottle

Sept. 1, 2010 – People who take Abbott’s weight loss pill Meridia have a higher risk of nonfatal heart attack and stroke, a company-sponsored study shows.

The increased risk was seen only in patients with underlying heart disease. When the FDA learned of the study results last January, Meridia use was restricted to patients without known heart problems.

The European regulatory authorities went further. They banned the drug, known generically as sibutramine and in Europe as Reductil.

Later this month, an FDA expert advisory panel will meet to decide whether Meridia should remain on sale in the U.S.

The researchers reporting the study, W. Philip T. James, MD, DSc, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and colleagues, including researchers from Abbott, say the drug should stay on the market as long as it isn’t sold to people with heart conditions.

The editors of the New England Journal of Medicine disagree. In a strongly worded editorial, they call Meridia “another flawed diet pill.” They note that in return for offering a weight loss of under 9 pounds — less than 5% of the body weight of the overweight participants in the study — the drug had a one-in-70 chance of causing a heart attack or stroke.

People with underlying heart problems had an even higher one-in-52 risk of heart attack or stroke. And the New England Journal of Medicine editors note that many people who are overweight or obese have undiagnosed heart problems.

Since “the modest weight loss with [Meridia] did not translate into clinical benefit,” the editors say, “it is difficult to discern a credible rationale for keeping this medication on the market.”

James and colleagues find that among 10,744 overweight or obese people with heart problems or type 2 diabetes, 4.1% of those taking Meridia and 3.2% of those on placebo had nonfatal heart attacks. The nonfatal stroke rate was 2.6% in the Meridia group and 1.9% in the placebo group.

Importantly, they suggest, Meridia did not increase the overall death risk or the risk of death from heart disease and stroke.

Meridia “should continue to be excluded from use in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease,” James and colleagues conclude.

The FDA panel will make its recommendations on Sept. 15.

The James study and the editorial appear in the Sept. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Low-Carb Labels May Confuse More Than Educate

By webmaster on October 21, 2010 in

Study Shows Many People Draw Wrong Conclusions From Front-of-Package Labelsman reading label

Sept. 7, 2010 — People often misinterpret product claims of low-carbohydrate content on the front of packages, believing the foods are healthy and will help them manage their weight, a  study shows. 

The result, researchers say, is that many busy people buy products that they think are better for them than they really are.

The researchers used an online questionnaire to gather data from 4,320 people about perceived healthfulness of foods and their ability to manage weight, based only on front-of-package claims.

The investigators found that “low-carbohydrate claims led to more favorable perceptions about products’ helpfulness for weight management, healthfulness and caloric content.”

But the study also found that the perceptions of people who read labels on the backs of packages, called Nutrition Facts panels, “became more consistent with the nutrition profile” of products, allowing them to make more informed choices.

“Although exposure to the Nutrition Facts has the potential for mitigating inappropriate benefits attributed to products claiming to be low carbohydrate, previous consumer research suggests that when a food product carries a front-of-package claim, consumers are less likely to turn the package over to look at the Nutrition Facts panel,” the researchers say.

They suggest that consumers need to be educated to read all information available for products, and not just front-panel data.

Claims linking low-carb content with healthfulness and weight loss gained popularity earlier this decade as a result of best-selling diet books, such as The South Beach Diet and Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, which stressed the weight loss value of a low-carb diet.

The researchers note that in 2005, some 87% of Americans were aware of low-carb diets, 34% perceived them to have health benefits, and 17% had tried one of the programs in the past year.

Between 2001 and 2005, sales of foods promoted as low-carb increased fivefold, reaching $2.4 billion. But the FDA, which sets rules for nutrition claims, has never defined what constitutes a “low carbohydrate” item.

“The results of this study, coupled with previous food label research, shows that consumers interpret claims on food labels to have meaning beyond the scope of the claim itself,” the researchers write.

The researchers conclude that misperceptions about food products carrying claims may lead people to make poorly informed choices that can affect their health, and that the importance of using Nutritional Facts panels should be emphasized.

The study is published in the September/October issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

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Omega-3s and Fish: Facts on DHA and EPA in Fish

By webmaster on October 21, 2010 in

Experts explain which fish are best for omega-3s, and which you should limit due to mercury.

Fish and omega-3 fatty acids. If you keep up with the latest nutrition news, you may have a pretty good sense of what they offer. But, if you’re like many people, you still can’t tell your omega-3s from your omega-6s — and you sure as heck can’t pronounce eicosapentaenoic acid. That’s OK. Our fishing expedition turned up some interesting facts to share about omega-3 fatty acids and fish.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fatty layers of cold-water fish and shellfish, plant and nut oils, English walnuts, flaxseed, algae oils, and fortified foods. You can also get omega-3s as supplements. Food and supplement sources of these fatty acids differ in the forms and amounts they contain.

There are the two main types of omega-3 fatty acids:

Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). These are plentiful in fish and shellfish. Algae often provides only DHA.Short-chain omega-3 fatty acids are ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). These are found in plants, such as flaxseed. Though beneficial, ALA omega-3 fatty acids have less potent health benefits than EPA and DHA. You’d have to eat a lot to gain the same benefits as you do from fish.

In addition to omega-3s, fish is high in protein, vitamins, and minerals. And, it’s low in saturated fat. 

Hundreds of studies suggest that omega-3s may provide some benefits to a wide range of diseases: cancer, asthma, depression, cardiovascular disease, ADHD, and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

How could fatty acids be so beneficial for so many different conditions?

“All these diseases have a common genesis in inflammation,” says Joseph C. Maroon, MD, professor and vice chairman of the department of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Co-author of Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-Inflammatory, Maroon says that in large enough amounts omega-3′s reduce the inflammatory process that leads to many chronic conditions.

For these and other reasons, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the American Heart Association, and the American Dietetic Association recommend eating two 8-ounce servings of fish each week.

Unfortunately, the American diet is swimming in omega-6s instead, says Jeffrey Bost, PAC, clinical instructor in the department of neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and also co-author of Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-Inflammatory.

“It’s in almost everything we eat,” he says. “Our diet has shifted away from fresh veggies and fish to foods high in omega-6s, such as crackers, cookies, and corn-fed beef.”

Before the introduction of grains, fats, and artificial substances, says Maroon, the ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s was two to one. Today, we consume at least 20 times more omega-6s than omega-3s. The problem is that excessive amounts of omega-6 fatty acids can promote inflammation, a key step in many chronic diseases. 

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Gene Switches May Turn Obesity On

By webmaster on October 21, 2010 in

Obesity Linked to Chemical Changes in 13 Genesmeasuring tape in double helix

Sept. 15, 2010 — Chemical changes to our DNA may make us obese, a genetic study shows.

When looking for genetic causes of disease, most researchers try to find out how the genetic code of people with the disease differs from the genetic code of healthy people.

Johns Hopkins researcher Andrew Feinberg, MD, MPH, and colleagues took a different approach. They know that sometime in life, methyl chemical groups attach to some of a person’s DNA. These chemical attachments can act as dimmer switches that affect how the gene works.

Some of these “epigenetic” changes are genetically determined. Others appear to happen very early in life and are pretty much permanent. Still others happen through the life span, and may or may not be permanent. Identical twins have identical DNA when they are conceived — but as they age, the chemical attachments to their DNA grow more and more different.

Can these changes make a person more or less vulnerable to disease?

To find out, Feinberg and colleagues looked at 4.5 million DNA sites in 74 elderly Icelandic people participating in a gene study. Participants gave blood samples twice, with 11 years between measurements.

Some of the people in the study were obese. Others were not. Feinberg and colleagues found 13 changes that were much more common in the obese people. Four of these changes remained the same in the two tests 11 years apart.

The changes were in genes scattered across the human genome.

“Some of the genes we found were … previously suspected, but not confirmed, for a link to body mass,” Feinberg says in a news release. “Others were a surprise — such as one known to be associated with foraging behavior in hungry worms.”

The researchers suggest that if their findings are confirmed — and if the changes begin in childhood and remain stable — tests might be able to identify children at highest risk of growing up obese.

And it’s not all about obesity. The same techniques, Feinberg and colleagues suggest, can be used to look for epigenetic changes linked to diseases such as autism, diabetes, asthma, and bipolar disorder — or even life span.

Feinberg and colleagues report their findings in the Sept. 15 online issue of Science Translational Medicine.

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Why Omega-3 Is an Essential Part of a Healthy Diet

By webmaster on October 20, 2010 in

These fatty acids are brain and heart healthy — and easy to add to your diet. Try our Tuna Pocket Sandwich!By Erin O’Donnell
WebMD the Magazine – Feature

Casting around for sound nutrition advice? Catch this: Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for good health, yet the body can’t make these vital fats on its own, so you need to eat omega-3-rich foods several times a week to maintain an adequate supply.

Omega-3s play a variety of roles in the body, but they’re best known for supporting heart and brain health. They help the heart by preventing abnormal heart rhythms, and they also ease the inflammation that can contribute to coronary artery blockages, says Richard J. Deckelbaum, MD, director of the Institute of Human Nutrition at Columbia University.

Deckelbaum adds that DHA, an omega-3 in fish, eggs, and organ meats, is a necessary building block for brain development in babies before and after birth. Research also suggests that nourishing your brain with omega-3s may reduce your risk of depression and related mood disorders.

Omega-3s can reduce triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood) and raise HDL (the “good” cholesterol) that can reduce your risk of heart disease and lower blood pressure slightly, Deckelbaum says. The two omega-3s most important to the heart are EPA and DHA, found in fish, especially fatty fish. That’s why the American Heart Association recommends at least two servings of omega-3-rich fish a week. Standout sources include salmon, sardines, tuna, and herring.

Deckelbaum says it might take two to three months of frequent meals of fatty fish or other omega-rich foods for your body to achieve a healthy level of these fats (and for you to see the benefits). “You can’t just eat some salmon and expect to feel better tomorrow,” he says. In addition to coldwater fish, fortified eggs are another good source. Be sure to choose a brand that includes DHA, which may offer a wider range of health benefits than ALA, another omega-3 commonly added to eggs.

Walnuts and flaxseeds contain ALA, making them an important choice for vegetarians or people who don’t eat fish. But Deckelbaum says the body doesn’t use ALA as efficiently as DHA and EPA, so you may miss some health benefits if it’s your only omega-3 source. To use flaxseeds, grind them in a blender and then sprinkle a tablespoonful on oatmeal or whir into smoothies. Store any remaining seeds in the fridge to prevent spoilage.

Just as DHA is important for the brain development of babies, it may benefit the brain at the other end of life too. Preliminary studies suggest that increased DHA intake may help prevent age-related dementia. Tuna is a handy and inexpensive source of omega-3 fats, but choose tuna packed in water, which offers more omega-3s than versions packed in oil. (Some of the omega-3s are transferred to the oil, which most people drain off.) Other omega-3-rich fish include mackerel, halibut, anchovies, and rainbow trout. Avocadoes are also high in omega-3s.

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9 Healthy Facts About Swiss Chard

By webmaster on October 20, 2010 in

The history and nutritional benefits of this leafy green — plus a fabulous recipe for a Swiss chard frittata.By Chloe Thompson
WebMD the Magazine – Feature

The earthy-tasting Swiss chard is a powerhouse of nutrition. And with its rainbow assortment of stem colors, it’s as pleasing on the plate as it is to the palate. Want to learn more? Here are nine facts that not everyone knows about Swiss chard, plus a Swiss chard low-fat frittata recipe that takes leafy greens to a whole new dimension.

Origins of Swiss chard:

This leafy green was identified by a Swiss botanist and is a variety of Beta vulgaris. Today, Swiss chard is most popular in Mediterranean countries.

Alternative names for Swiss chard:

The plant has numerous monikers, including silverbeet, Roman kale, and strawberry spinach.

The goosefoot family:

The tall leafy vegetable is a part of the goosefoot family — aptly named because the leaves resemble a goose’s foot. Other members are beets and spinach.

Health benefits of Swiss chard:

Swiss chard is a nutritional powerhouse — an excellent source of vitamins K, A, and C, as well as a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber.

Swiss chard rainbow:

The thick stalks are red, white, yellow, or green. All have a mildly bitter taste.

The origins of “chard”:

“Chard” comes from the Latin word cardus, meaning thistle.

Swiss chard growth:

Swiss chard plants can grow to 28 inches high.

Cooking Swiss chard:

Prepare Swiss chard by rinsing the crisp leaves several times in warm water. Leaves and stalks can be boiled, steamed, or roasted.

Still more health benefits of Swiss chard:

One cup of chopped Swiss chard has just 35 calories and provides more than 300% of the daily value for vitamin K. But skip this veggie if you’re prone to kidney stones; it contains oxalates, which decrease the body’s absorption of calcium and can lead to kidney stones.

Swiss Chard Potato Frittata

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Cooking spray

1 1/2 cups diced potatoes (about 1/2 pound or use frozen hash browns)

1 large onion, chopped

4 cups (about 6 ounces) coarsely chopped Swiss chard (stems and center ribs removed)

4 large eggs

4 large egg whites

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheese

Directions

1. Heat an 8- to 10-inch ovenproof skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Preheat broiler.

2. Sauté onions until browned, about 8 to 10 minutes; set aside. In same skillet, sauté potatoes until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes; set aside. Add Swiss chard to skillet over medium heat, and cook about 6 to 8 minutes. Add cooking spray as needed.

3. In a medium bowl whisk eggs, egg whites, salt, and pepper until frothy. Mix in onions, potatoes, and Swiss chard.

4. Heat skillet with cooking spray over medium-high heat and pour egg mixture into pan. Cook covered 3 to 5 minutes or until set. 

5. Spread cheese on frittata. Broil 3 to 5 minutes until browned.

Per serving: 218 calories, 17 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 221 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 445 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 36%.

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The Benefits of Flaxseed

By webmaster on October 20, 2010 in

Is flaxseed the new wonder food? Preliminary studies show that flaxseed may help fight everything from heart disease and diabetes to breast cancer.Some call it one of the most powerful plant foods on the planet. There’s some evidence it can help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. That’s quite a tall order for a tiny seed that’s been around for centuries: flaxseed.

Flaxseed was cultivated in Babylon as early as 3000 BC, according to the Flax Council of Canada. By the 8th century, King Charlemagne believed so strongly in the health benefits of flaxseed that he passed laws requiring his subjects to consume it. Fast-forward 13 centuries, and some experts would say we have preliminary research to back up what Charlemagne suspected all those years ago.

These days, flaxseed is found in all kinds of foods, from crackers to frozen waffles to oatmeal. In the first 11 months of 2006, 75 new products were launched that listed flax or flaxseed as an ingredient. Not only has consumer demand for flaxseed gone up, agricultural use has also increased — to feed all those chickens laying eggs that are higher in omega-3 fatty acids.

Although flaxseed contains all sorts of healthy components, it owes its healthy reputation primarily to three ingredients:

Omega-3 essential fatty acids, “good” fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75- 800 times more lignans than other plant foodsFiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.Although Lilian Thompson, PhD, an internationally known flaxseed researcher from the University of Toronto, says she wouldn’t call any of the health benefits of flax “well established,” research indicates that flax’s possible health benefits include reducing the risks of certain cancers as well as cardiovascular disease and lung disease. Here are more details:

Cancer

Recent studies have suggested that flaxseed may have a protective effect against cancer, particularly breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer. At least two of the components in flaxseed seem to contribute, says Kelley C. Fitzpatrick, M.Sc., director of health and nutrition with the Flax Council of Canada.

In animal studies, the plant omega-3 fatty acid found in flaxseed, called ALA, inhibited tumor incidence and growth.

Further, the lignans in flaxseed may provide some protection against cancers that are sensitive to hormones. Some studies have suggested that exposure to lignans during adolescence helps reduce the risk of breast cancer, Thompson says.

Lignans may help protect against cancer by:

Blocking enzymes that are involved in hormone metabolism.Interfering with the growth and spread of tumor cells.

Some of the other components in flaxseed also have antioxidant properties, which may contribute to protection against cancer and heart disease.

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Americans Skimp on Fruits and Vegetables

By webmaster on October 20, 2010 in

The CDC Says More Needs to Be Done to Improve Access, Availability, and Affordability of Fruits, Vegetableswoman eating apple

Sept. 9, 2010 — Americans aren’t eating nearly enough fruits and vegetables, the CDC says.

The percentage of Americans eating fruit two or more times every day and vegetables at least three times daily declined slightly compared to a decade ago, before health authorities began to sound the alarm about the nation’s obesity epidemic.

The CDC, in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report for Sept. 10, said only 32.5% of adults in the U.S. ate fruit two or more times daily in 2009, and just over a quarter of Americans, 26.3%, ate vegetables three or more times per day.

The Healthy People 2010 objectives set by the CDC include goals that 75% of people age 2 and over eat two or more servings of fruit daily and 50% eat three or more servings of vegetables daily.

“The findings underscore the need for interventions at national, state, and community levels, across multiple settings to improve fruit and vegetable access, availability, and affordability as a means of increasing consumption,” the CDC says in the news report. “A diet high in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk for many leading causes of death.”

The new report analyzes data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing, state-based telephone survey of civilians in the U.S. aged 18 and over.

The CDC says no state met either of its targets. Washington, D.C., had the highest percentage of adults eating fruit twice or more per day, at 40.2%, and Oklahoma the lowest at 18.1%.

Tennessee had the highest percentage of adults eating the recommended amount of vegetables, at 33%, and South Dakota the lowest at 19.6%.

The CDC says overall prevalence of eating fruit two or more times daily decreased from 34.4% in 2000 to 32.5% in 2009. There was no significant change in vegetable consumption nationally.

The report also reveals characteristics about subgroups that are showing more improvement in reaching CDC goals. For example:

36.1% of women compared to 28.7% of men ate fruit two or more times per day in 2009, and 30.9% of women compared to 21.4% of men ate vegetables at least three times daily.41.3% of people 65 and older ate the recommended portions of fruit, and 29% ate vegetables three or more times daily.36.9% of college graduates ate enough fruit, and 32.2% ate the recommended amount of vegetables.32.9% of people with annual household incomes of $50,000 or more ate the recommended amount of fruits, and 29.4% vegetables.Hispanics had the highest prevalence of fruit consumption at 37.2% but the lowest prevalence of vegetable consumption, 19.7%.36.9% of college graduates met fruit guidelines, and 32.2% ate the recommended amounts of vegetables.

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Omega-3 Functional Foods: Fatty Acids in Cereal & More

By webmaster on October 20, 2010 in

Found in everything from eggs to eye cream, are you getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in your diet?

“Now enriched with omega-3 fatty acids.” Stroll supermarket aisles and you’ll see that phrase just about everywhere — on cereal boxes, egg cartons, even jars of eye cream.

And with good reason. Despite what the latest fad diets may say, we need these essential fats to function, from building cell walls to keeping our brains healthy.

Research also suggests omega-3 fatty acids may lower our heart disease and stroke risks; the omega-3s EPA and DHA also may help depression, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and a host of other conditions still being studied, from asthma to menstrual pain.

“Omega-3s seem to be involved in so many body functions,” says Minnesota dietitian Susan Moores, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. “We’re still getting a hold on all the things they do.”

With all that omega-3 fatty acids have going for them, it’s easy to see why fortifying foods and beverages with omega-3s has become big business — one projected to grow to $7 billion by 2011.

The catch with these super fats is that our bodies don’t make EPA and DHA. We get omega-3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA, and ALA) from the foods we eat. And because most of us aren’t getting enough, a host of functional foods have appeared on supermarket shelves to help us get the omega-3s we need.

Should we be getting our omega-3s from fortified foods like waffles, cereals, and juices, or from natural sources like fatty fish such as salmon and tuna?

“I’m a huge proponent of food synergy,” Moores tells WebMD. “I think where nutrients are found naturally is probably the best place to get them.”

And one of the places where omega-3 fatty acids are abundant is in oily, cold-water fish, such as:

HalibutSalmonSardinesTroutTuna

As a matter of fact, dig into a 4-ounce serving of canned, white tuna and you’ll get about 540 milligrams of omega-3s, while 3 ounces of salmon can have twice that.

Not everyone likes or can eat fish. This is when fortified functional foods and supplements can fill in the fatty acids gap, says Moores. But she cautions the buyer to beware when purchasing functional foods with omega-3s. “Labels may say ‘a good source of omega-3s,’ but there really isn’t a definition of that.”

There’s no recommended standard dose for omega-3 fatty acids, but some studies suggest between 500 to 1,000 milligrams daily for healthy people, and 2 to 4 grams of EPA plus DHA for people trying to lower their triglycerides.

Fortified foods such as pasta, soy milk, oatmeal, cereal, and margarine can each have between 250 and 400 milligrams of added omega-3s per serving, depending on the brands you choose.

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FDA Panel Rejects Diet Drug Lorcaserin

By webmaster on October 19, 2010 in

Advisory Panel Expresses Concern About Unanswered Safety Questionsoverweight woman holding medication

Sept. 16, 2010 — An FDA advisory panel rejected the latest weight loss drug to make a bid for the U.S. market.

The panel of experts voted 9 to 5 to urge the FDA not to approve lorcaserin. The drug — know by the brand name Lorqess, is made by Arena Pharmaceuticals.

The FDA doesn’t have to follow the panel’s recommendation, but it usually does. The vote is the latest blow to the drug industry’s effort to develop safe and effective weight loss drugs.

Only two prescription drugs are approved for weight loss in the U.S. One of them, Meridia, also known as sibutramine, split the panel on Wednesday on the question of whether it should be pulled off the U.S. market because of safety concerns.

In the case of lorcaserin, the panel ruled that the modest weight loss delivered by the drug in clinical studies did not make up for several unanswered questions about its safety. In particular, panelists said they were troubled by evidence the drug increased the risk of breast tumors in laboratory animals.

Meanwhile, most patients who took lorcaserin lost relatively small amounts of weight. About half of all patients who stayed in company studies for one year lost at least 5% of their body weight. At the same time, about a quarter of patients who took a placebo achieved the same result.

In all, patients taking the drug lost only between 3% and 3.7% of their body weight beyond what they would have with a placebo, the study showed. That fell short of the FDA’s criteria for an effective weight loss drug.

The company argued that even small amounts of weight loss can have positive health effects for overweight and obese adults. But experts said they were troubled that Arena’s study excluded patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, groups that make up a large proportion of the patients who would receive the drug.

“Face it ,the people who need this have diabetes, have high blood pressure” and high cholesterol, said Lamont G. Weide, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine and diabetes expert at the University of Missouri, Kansas City and a member of the panel.

Panel chairman Abraham Thomas, MD, who voted to approve the drug, said excluding such sicker patients was problematic. “In the real world … the achievable results are never as good as in the clinical trial,” said Thomas, who chairs the department of endocrinology at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

Panelists also said they wanted to see more research on lorcaserin’s possible links to cancer. The drug caused a sevenfold increase in mammary tumors in laboratory rats. While the doses were far higher than human doses, experts said they were uncomfortable not knowing how to translate the findings to the human population.

In a statement, Arena president and CEO Jack Lief said the company and partner company Eisai believe the benefits of lorcaserin outweigh the risks. “Arena will work closely with the FDA as the agency completes its review of the lorcaserin new drug application,” the statement said.

The company said it is currently studying the drug in roughly 600 diabetes patients. Experts said they are eagerly awaiting the results, acknowledging that so few effective prescription weight loss drugs are available to patients now.

“I think the drug is promising, it’s just not quite there yet,” said Edward W. Gregg, MD, chief of the Epidemiology and Statistics Branch at the CDC and a member of the panel.

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