[Study of heart valve function on obese patients treated with sibutramine].

BACKGROUND

Some anorectic drugs have been related with he development of heart valve lesions. Sibutramine is a new anorectic drug used for the treatment of obesity. Although data reported to date suggest that sibutramine does not induce heart valve lesions, there are no published reports performing longitudinal echocardiographic studies before and after treatment with sibutramine.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Consecutive series of 16 obese patients who underwent Doppler-echocardiography before and after treatment with sibutramine.

RESULTS

After 6 months of treatment, at 10 mg/day dose, sibutramine does noe appear to induce heart valve lesions.

CONCLUSIONS

Sibutramine does not induce heart valve lesions when it is used in short-term treatment courses.