METFORM AN WEIGHT LOSS

February 7, 2000. The next issue of OBESITY MEDS AND RESEARCH NEWS will be on-line soon. Our featured article in February will be metformin (glucophage) for weight loss in insulin resistance and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Most obese patients are insulin resistant, and increasingly the type-2 diabetes medication metformin is being prescribed to increase glucose sensitivity and promote weight loss.

Some insulin resistant women also have a condition known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is characterized by a circle of cysts on the ovaries. The cysts can cause irregular menstrual cycles and infertility. Other symptoms of PCOS include obesity and high male hormone levels resulting in facial hair, male pattern baldness, acne and syndrome x.

Early reports on metformin and weight loss are encouraging, but like all drugs, metformin is not risk free. A small number of patients taking this drug have developed a condition known as lactic acidosis, a build up of lactic acid in the blood which can result in damage to major organs.

In this month's OMR we will review the weight loss studies performed to date, take a look at the efficacy of metformin in improving the metabolic abnormalities of obesity and PCOS, and profile patients who are at risk for developing lactic acidosis.

In addition to this special coverage, OMR will be catching up on other news,
including:

The latest studies on melatonin, green tea and amylin in weight loss,

Information on a new anti-obesity drug currently in phase 2 human trials, and

The latest obesity gene discoveries.

OBESITY MEDS AND RESEARCH NEWS is the largest and most reliable database on the web for information on obesity and weight loss. OMR has won numerous honors for excellence, including the Health A to Z and Health Links site awards. We are also featured in the new Facts on Demand Press book, "The Incredible Internet Guide to Diets & Nutrition". OMR is only 164 out of 1300+ web sites reviewed in this book to be rated a must see!

An on-line subscription to OBESITY MEDS AND RESEARCH NEWS gives you access to our entire database, including our recent in-depth look at leptin. If you are interested in the subject of obesity from either a professional or patient viewpoint, OMR is indispensable.

Contact information: Barbara Hirsch, Publisher, OBESITY MEDS AND RESEARCH NEWS, PO Box 19316, Alexandria, VA 22320- 0316, telephone: 703/960-3649; fax: 703/960-7462; e-mail: subscriptions@obesity-news.com. On-line secure subscription form:

https://www06.tierranet.com/weightloss-news.com/form.htm

OMR is available in both on-line and hard copy editions.