Res. 1996;4:263-270. Sibutramine is a~-phenethylamine which blocks reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin. In this clinical study, a group of 173 patients were randomized to treatment with sibutramine at doses of 1, 5, 10,15, 20 or 30 mgld and were compared with placebo in a 24-week double-blind trial. There was a dose-dependent reduction in body weight, with doses of 10, 15, 20 and 30 mg being significantly greater than placebo. Weight loss was still continuing in the highest three doses at the end of the study. When drugs were discontinued patients regained weight, as expected. Side effects were generally mild and were most evident in the group treated with the highest dose. These studies suggest that sibutramine may be a valuable new drug for treatment of obesity.
OBJECTIVE -To compare patient outcomes 1 year before and 1 year after enrollment in a comprehensive diabetes lower-extremity amputation prevention program.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-Outcome data were obtained on 197 patients enrolled in the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Diabetes Foot Program, which provides foot care to a predominantly low-income African-American population in Louisiana. Data were obtained using a structured interview administered by a registered nurse. Recordings were made of number of days with an open foot ulcer, number of times hospitalized for a foot problem, number of days spent in the hospital for a foot problem, number of visits to the emergency room for a foot problem, number of times an antibiotic was prescribed for a foot problem, number of all foot operations, number of lower-extremity amputations, and number of missed workdays for a foot problem. Data were obtained on all patients at the initial visit and at the 1-year follow-up.RESULTS -Analysis of data showed a reduction in foot-related ulcer days (Ϫ49%), hospitalizations, (Ϫ89%), hospital days (Ϫ90%), emergency room visits (Ϫ81%), antibiotic prescriptions, (Ϫ57%), foot operations (Ϫ87%), lower-extremity amputations (Ϫ79%), and missed workdays (Ϫ70%) after 1 year of comprehensive foot care compared with the 1-year period before treatment.CONCLUSIONS -This single cohort outcome study showed a large reduction in footrelated complications after the first year of comprehensive preventive foot care.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.