The effects of orlistat on metabolic parameters and other cardiovascular risk factors.

Orlistat is an antiobesity drug with a well documented efficacy in weight reduction and weight maintenance. Weight reduction with orlistat has been associated with a favourable effect on obesity-related cardiovascular risk factors. Orlistat treatment is associated with a reduction in serum insulin levels. Moreover, orlistat reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes in patients with impaired glucose tolerance and lowers the required dose of metformin, sulfonylureas and insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, orlistat can reduce total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and improve postprandial triglyceridemia, as well as the low density lipoprotein cholesterol/high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (LDL/HDL ratio). Moreover, orlistat appears to have a favourable effect on some inflammatory markers, such as TNF-alpha and interleukin-6 and has a time-depended effect on some haemostatic factors.