NICE
guidance on sibutramine for obesitySibutramine should be available as one part of an overall treatment plan for the management of obesity for
- people aged 18-65 years who have made serious attempts to lose weight by dieting, exercise and/or other changes in their behaviour, and who:
- have a body mass index (BMI) of 27.0 kg/m2 or more as well as other significant diseases (e.g. Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol).
- or have a BMI of 30.0 kg/m2 or more.
When people are prescribed sibutramine they should also be offered advice, support and counselling on diet, exercise and behaviour changes.
People taking sibutramine should only continue with treatment for more than 4 weeks if they have lost 2 kg in weight. People should only continue on this treatment beyond 3 months if they have lost at least 5% (5kg for each 100kg) of their body weight from the start of the drug treatment. Sibutramine should be stopped if patients do not lose weight as described. Treatment is not recommended for more than 12 months.
Because sibutramine can lead to increases in blood pressure, people taking it should have their blood pressure checked regularly. Increases in blood pressure should be considered carefully, and may be a reason to stop treatment. Sibutramine is not recommended for patients who already have high blood pressure (145/90 or above).
Supporting appropriate weight loss - Northumberland guidelines