Weight Loss, Xenical May Lower Blood Pressure

Results from a multicenter clinical trial headed by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) show that weight loss induced by Xenical (orlistat) can significantly reduce elevated blood pressure in overweight people.

November 13, 2000

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Results from a multicenter clinical trial headed by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) show that weight loss induced by Xenical (orlistat) can significantly reduce elevated blood pressure in overweight people.

The results will be presented Monday, November 13, at the American Heart Association's 73rd annual Scientific Sessions in New Orleans.

David Calhoun, M.D., medical director of UAB's Vascular Biology and Hypertension Program and one of the lead investigators, said the results are of particular importance because persistent obesity often reduces the effect of antihypertensive medications.

The study investigated the effect of Xenical on weight loss and blood pressure in patients with treated but inadequately controlled high blood pressure. Xenical induces weight loss by blocking the absorption of dietary fat.

Calhoun said researchers found that those patients treated with Xenical experienced a significantly greater decrease in diastolic blood pressure compared with placebo and significantly greater weight loss. They also found that a greater percentage of patients who received Xenical obtained a significant blood pressure benefit by reducing their blood pressure to a normal level or by at least 10 points.

"In addition to its favorable effect on blood pressure, weight loss with Xenical was found to produce a significantly greater reduction in cholesterol levels," Calhoun said. Patients taking Xenical experienced a tenfold greater reduction in total cholesterol level compared with placebo, and threefold greater reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Buildup of cholesterol is the most common cause of coronary heart disease, Calhoun said.

Study participants were clinically obese with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or higher and had an elevated diastolic blood pressure, despite taking at least one antihypertensive medication at the start of the trial. In addition to treatment with Xenical or placebo, all patients received a calorie-reduced diet with 30 percent of calories derived from fat.