Raj Padwal and Sumit Majumdar of the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton contend that while the drugs such as sibutramine (Meridia), orlistat (Xenical) and rimonabant (Acomplia) have proven to help patients lose weight, their role in reducing the risks of heart attack, stroke and diabetes is unclear.
The researchers also noted that the effect of such drugs are not long-term and have high dropout rates.
Moreover, they point out that the ultimate goal of such drugs is to make a person healthier and lower their risk of having cardiovascular problems.
But "if you are going to give a medication that raises the blood pressure, then you have to question, is the net benefit advantageous or am I putting this patient at increased risk," Padwal said in an interview with AFP.
Padwal said that the benefits of such drugs should be assessed in light of effect on overall health of the patient. People who exercise may only lose a little weight but they can significantly reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke and diabetes, he noted.
Padwal said that although the studies are now under way to determine the long-term benefits and risks of these anti-obesity drugs, but such studies take time, and drugs such as Merida and Xenical have been on the market for several years.
In the absence of such data, obesity-drug trials should be designed to show that they have vital benefits beyond weight loss, they conclude.
