Background: Botulin toxin (BTX) has been proposed as a potential obesity treatment. Methods: In a pilot study, the short-term efficacy and safety of BTX was assessed in eight subjects (four men, four women; median age, 46 years; range, 35-57 years) with severe obesity (median body mass index [BMI], 47.1 kg/m(2); range 38.2-56.7 kg/m(2)) and multiple dietary treatment failures. In a single endoscopic session, 500 UI of BTX-A was injected in the gastric antral region. Results: No clinically significant side effects were observed. In all patients, despite their not being on a specific diet, a reduction of body weight was observed at 1 month (median baseline weight, 124.4 kg vs 121.8 kg at 1 month; P < 0.05). Two treatment-unrelated dropouts were observed. At 4 months, three of the six patients had a further weight loss. The treatment effect was apparently independent of changes in hunger or satiety, or of changes in fasting and postprandial plasma ghrelin and serum leptin, thus suggesting a different pharmacological mechanism. Conclusions: BTX-A treatment appears to be safe and well tolerated by obese patients, while its short-term efficacy varied widely.
Safety and efficacy of therapy with botulinum toxin in obesity: a pilot study / Albani G; PETRONI M; Mauro A; Liuzzi A; Lezzi G; Verti B; Marzullo P; Cattani L. - In: JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY. - ISSN 0944-1174. - STAMPA. - 40:8(2005), pp. 833-835. [10.1007/s00535-005-1669-x]
Safety and efficacy of therapy with botulinum toxin in obesity: a pilot study
PETRONI M;
2005
Abstract
Background: Botulin toxin (BTX) has been proposed as a potential obesity treatment. Methods: In a pilot study, the short-term efficacy and safety of BTX was assessed in eight subjects (four men, four women; median age, 46 years; range, 35-57 years) with severe obesity (median body mass index [BMI], 47.1 kg/m(2); range 38.2-56.7 kg/m(2)) and multiple dietary treatment failures. In a single endoscopic session, 500 UI of BTX-A was injected in the gastric antral region. Results: No clinically significant side effects were observed. In all patients, despite their not being on a specific diet, a reduction of body weight was observed at 1 month (median baseline weight, 124.4 kg vs 121.8 kg at 1 month; P < 0.05). Two treatment-unrelated dropouts were observed. At 4 months, three of the six patients had a further weight loss. The treatment effect was apparently independent of changes in hunger or satiety, or of changes in fasting and postprandial plasma ghrelin and serum leptin, thus suggesting a different pharmacological mechanism. Conclusions: BTX-A treatment appears to be safe and well tolerated by obese patients, while its short-term efficacy varied widely.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.