Orlistat  reduced body weight ( weighted mean difference : −2.12 , p < 0.001 ) , total‐cholesterol ( weighted mean difference : −0.30 mmol/L , p < 0.001 ) , low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol ( weighted mean difference : −0.27 mmol/L , p < 0.001 ) , high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol ( weighted mean difference : −0.034 mmol/L , p < 0.001 ) and triglyceride ( weighted mean difference : −0.09 mmol/L , p < 0.001 ) concentrations , while no effect on lipoprotein(a ) was observed .
Total‐ and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol‐lowering were associated negatively with duration of orlistat treatment and positively with body weight changes .
In conclusion , Orlistat treatment slightly reduces cholesterol and triglyceride levels , but not lipoprotein(a ) levels .
Total‐ and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels reductions are more consistent in patients with greater body weight reduction and shorter duration of orlistat treatment .
We investigated the efficacy of orlistat on plasma lipids and body weight in a meta‐ analysis of 33 studies including 9732  participants .Orlistat  was associated with a slight but significant decrease in body weight , plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations , whereas plasma Lp(a ) levels were not affected by orlistat treatment .
Greater body weight reduction and lower duration of orlistat treatment promoted more consistent plasma total‐ and LDL‐cholesterol lowering
& NA ; Orlistat , an inhibitor of intestinal lipase , promotes body weight reduction .
The lipid‐lowering efficacy of orlistat is controversial and the effect of orlistat‐induced body weight reduction on lipid changes has not been explored in meta‐regression analyses .
HighlightsOrlistat is an inhibitor of intestinal lipase promoting body weight reduction , but whose lipid‐lowering efficacy is controversial .
Long-term persistence with orlistat and sibutramine in a population-based cohort
Objective : Orlistat and sibutramine are widely prescribed antiobesity agents that are approved for 2 years of continuous use . Previous 1–4-year r and omized , placebo-controlled trials of these drugs have reported average weight losses of < 5 kg , significant adverse effects and attrition rates of up to 60 % . The objective of this study was to determine the long-term persistence with orlistat and sibutramine therapy outside a clinical trial setting . Design , setting and patients : Population -based administrative data from British Columbia , Canada , were used to create an inception cohort of  orlistat and sibutramine users and determine the 2-year persistence with therapy . Main outcome measure : Persistence with therapy at 2 years . Drug discontinuation was defined as the failure to refill a prescription within 120 days . Patients discontinuing therapy were censored at the 60-day mark . Results : Nearly 17 000 users of orlistat and 3500 users of sibutramine were identified . For both orlistat and sibutramine , 1-year persistence rates were < 10 % and 2-year persistence rates were 2 % . Conclusion : This population -based , retrospective cohort analysis demonstrated very poor long-term persistence rates with orlistat and sibutramine and discontinuation rates that were much higher than those reported in clinical trials
Orlistat  reduced body weight ( weighted mean difference : −2.12 , p < 0.001 ) , total‐cholesterol ( weighted mean difference : −0.30 mmol/L , p < 0.001 ) , low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol ( weighted mean difference : −0.27 mmol/L , p < 0.001 ) , high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol ( weighted mean difference : −0.034 mmol/L , p < 0.001 ) and triglyceride ( weighted mean difference : −0.09 mmol/L , p < 0.001 ) concentrations , while no effect on lipoprotein(a ) was observed .
Total‐ and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol‐lowering were associated negatively with duration of orlistat treatment and positively with body weight changes .
In conclusion , Orlistat treatment slightly reduces cholesterol and triglyceride levels , but not lipoprotein(a ) levels .
Total‐ and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels reductions are more consistent in patients with greater body weight reduction and shorter duration of orlistat treatment .
We investigated the efficacy of orlistat on plasma lipids and body weight in a meta‐ analysis of 33 studies including 9732  participants .Orlistat  was associated with a slight but significant decrease in body weight , plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations , whereas plasma Lp(a ) levels were not affected by orlistat treatment .
Greater body weight reduction and lower duration of orlistat treatment promoted more consistent plasma total‐ and LDL‐cholesterol lowering
& NA ; Orlistat , an inhibitor of intestinal lipase , promotes body weight reduction .
The lipid‐lowering efficacy of orlistat is controversial and the effect of orlistat‐induced body weight reduction on lipid changes has not been explored in meta‐regression analyses .
HighlightsOrlistat is an inhibitor of intestinal lipase promoting body weight reduction , but whose lipid‐lowering efficacy is controversial .