Biomedical subjects

Harold Bays

Publications and source records attributed to Harold Bays.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Ezetimibe.

Ezetimibe is a cholesterol absorption inhibitor that significantly lowers low- density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and favourably affects triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol blood levels in monotherapy and in combination with statins. Hepatic and extrahepatic (peripheral) cholesterol synthesis are well-known sources of cholesterol found in LDL-C. However, the emergence of ezetimibe has highlighted intestinal cholesterol absorption as an additional, important source of cholesterol in LDL-C, and has better illuminated how genetic factors, dietary content, pharmaceutical agents, and nuclear receptor activation (such as liver X receptors) all influence the relative contribution of these important cholesterol sources to LDL-C. In fact, investigations into ezetimibe have sometimes challenged existing scientific dogma, has prompted reconsideration of older data, and has helped create 'new' paradigms in cholesterol metabolism. Thus, ezetimibe's efficacy, excellent tolerability, and safety has not only expanded potential treatment options for dyslipidaemic patients, but also has promoted exploration of new frontiers of lipid research towards a better understanding of cholesterol metabolism.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Anti-obesity drug development.

Obesity accelerates morbidity and mortality and has been described by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an epidemic in many industrialised nations [101,102]. Diet, exercise and lifestyle recommendations have proven to be mostly ineffective in adequately preventing or treating the progression of this public health disease. Existing drug treatment is limited by the scarce number of safe and well-tolerated drugs with proven long-term efficacy in maintaining weight loss. Numerous anti-obesity drugs in development have promise. Yet, despite that obesity is the single most common nutritional problem in many developed nations and despite the devastating health consequences of this unchecked epidemic, investigational anti-obesity drugs face unique and significant challenges due to past and current experiences with anti-obesity drugs. It is anticipated that new anti-obesity drugs for this serious, multifaceted metabolic disease will become as safe and effective and as medically accepted as the treatment of other metabolic disorders such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia or Type 2 diabetes mellitus. This may be particularly important, given that these metabolic disorders may be largely due to or exacerbated by obesity itself.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Pharmacotherapy of obesity: currently marketed and upcoming agents.

In many industrialized nations, obesity is now considered an epidemic, resulting in accelerated morbidity and mortality. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease as well as the metabolic syndrome comprising abdominal obesity, increased fasting blood glucose levels, dyslipidemia and hypertension, which are all recognized cardiovascular risk factors. Diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes constitute important recommendations for treatment. Unfortunately, although effective in some individuals, these recommendations have proven to be ineffective in adequately addressing the broad, enlarging scope of this public health problem. Drug treatment is often indicated but is somewhat limited by the minimal number of well tolerated drugs that have proven to have long-term efficacy in maintaining bodyweight loss. For example, phentermine may result in modest bodyweight loss through suppression of appetite, but potential cardiovascular adverse effects exist and the efficacy is mainly short-term. Sibutramine, an inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) reuptake, may increase satiety and result in modest bodyweight loss. However, cardiovascular adverse effects may occur in susceptible patients. Nonetheless, sibutramine is one of the few drugs that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for bodyweight loss. Orlistat, a lipase inhibitor, is also approved by the FDA for bodyweight loss but may have bothersome gastrointestinal adverse effects, especially among patients who do not adhere to the recommended low-fat diet. Ongoing studies continue to evaluate other drug treatments that may result in bodyweight reduction through a number of different mechanisms. It is anticipated that the development of effective and well tolerated antiobesity drugs will elevate the pharmacologic treatment of obesity to the status of other cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic disorders. This may be especially important given that dyslipidemia, hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus are often secondary to, or exacerbated by, obesity.

Anti-Obesity Agents↗