Review: orlistat, sibutramine, and rimonabant reduce weight in overweight and obese persons.

M e t h o d s Data sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE/ Excerpta Medica, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and Current Science meta-register of controlled trials (all from December 2002 to 2006); and reference lists. Study selection and assessment: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) that lasted ≥ 1 year, used intention-to-treat analysis, and evaluated the efficacy of AODs on weight, overall mortality, cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, CV morbidity, and CV mortality in overweight or obese participants ≥ 18 years of age. Open-label crossover trials, quasi-RCTs, and abstracts were excluded. Quality assessment of individual studies was based on 9 criteria of the Verhagen Delphi list. 30 RCTs (mean age range 38 to 59 y) met the selection criteria. Outcomes: Included changes in weight; triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and total cholesterol levels; blood pressure (BP); diabetes; and adverse events.