Doctors at the Lindner Center of HOPE is studying the effectivity of the medication lisdexamfetamine dimesylate in decreasing the days patients with BED would binge eat, compared to a placebo. The medicine is currently being used for treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
This is a significant discovery since to date, there is no approved medication for BED. It has been noted that Binge-Eating Disorder is associated symptoms of mental illness and obesity. Randomized clinical trials on the use of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate in treating BED have been conducted in 2011 to 2012 covering 500 patients with the eating disorder with positive results.
Ongoing clinical trials being conducted may lead to a safe and improved pharmacologic treatment for moderate to severe BED.
Treating Binge Eating Disorder With Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate
At some doses, the medication lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, a drug approved to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, was effective compared with placebo in decreasing binge-eating (BE) days in patients with binge-eating disorder (BED), a public health problem associated symptoms of mental illness and obesity and for which there are no approved medications, according to a study published online by JAMA Psychiatry.
BED is characterized by recurrent episodes of excessive food consumption accompanied by a sense of loss of control and psychological distress. Cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as psychotherapy, can reduce BE behavior but implementation of these treatments has not been widespread. Consequently, many patients with BED are undertreated despite having functional impairments and difficulties in their social and personal lives. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved pharmacologic treatments for BED, according to background information in the study.
Susan L. McElroy, M.D., of the Research Institute, Lindner Center of HOPE, Mason, Ohio, and coauthors compared lisdexamfetamine with placebo in adults with moderate to severe BED in a randomized clinical trial from May 2011 through January 2012. The study included 259 and 255 adults with BED in safety and intention-to-treat analyses, respectively. The medication was administered in dosages of 30, 50 or 70 mg/day or placebo.
BE days per week decreased in the 50-mg/d and 70 mg/d treatment groups but not in the 30 mg/d treatment group compared with the placebo group, according to the study results. Results also indicate the percentage of patients who achieved four-week BE cessation was lower with the placebo group (21.3 percent) compared with the 50-mg/d (42.2 percent) and 70-mg/d (50 percent) treatment groups.
"In the primary analysis of this study of adults with moderate to severe BED, lisdexamfetamine dimesylate treatment with 50 and 70 mg/d, but not 30 mg/d, demonstrated a significant decrease (compared with placebo) in weekly BE days per week at week 11. Similarly, BE episodes decreased in the 50- and 70-mg/d treatment groups. The one-week BE episode response status was improved in the 50- and 70-mg/d treatment groups, and a greater proportion of participants achieved four-week cessation of BE episodes and global improvement of symptom severity with all lisdexamfetamine dosages. ... Confirmation of these findings in ongoing clinical trials may results in improved pharmacologic treatment for moderate to severe BED," the study concludes.
RELATED LINKS
JAMA Psychiatry
Lindner Center of HOPE
Journal of Eating Disorders Launched
Coffee Lowers Risk of Depression While Diet Drinks Increase Risk
Socioeconomic Factors and Food Industry Practices Major Influence to Prevalence of Obesity
Study On Ephedrine And Weight Loss May Lead To Wearable Diet Vest That Burns Fat
Omega-3 In Fish Could Reduce Risk of Postpartum Depression
High Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Promotes Calm, Positive and Happy Behavior
Excess Amount of Visceral Fat Increases Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
