Being overweight can increase your risk of developing many different problems, including heart disease as extra weight can increase your blood pressure and cause atherosclerosis. Consequently, losing excess weight is one of the best things you can do for the health of your heart. Although many people use medications to lose weight, some diet drugs can increase your risk of developing heart problems.
Fenfluramine
One of the best documented cases of a diet drug causing heart problems is fenfluramine, which was used as part of a drug combination commonly known as Phen/Fen. Fenfluramine works as an appetite suppressant, making it easier for patients to eat less and cut back on their caloric intake. This medication is no longer legally available in the United States, however, because it lead to cardiovascular problems, including cardiac fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension in some patients, RxList.com reports.
Other Banned Medications
Other diet medications have also been banned or seen their production halted due to studies showing that they increased the risk of heart disease. Sibutramine is no longer available in the United States, PubMedHealth notes, because studies found that people taking this medication had an increased risk of developing a heart attack or stroke. In addition, supplements containing ephedra were banned in February of 2004 because this chemical can cause serious and potentially fatal cardiovascular problems.
Mechanism
There are a number of different ways in which diet drugs, particularly those which decrease your appetite, can harm your heart. Some, such as phendimetrazine tartrate, may cause problems with your heart valves and increased pressure in the arteries which supply blood to your lungs, also known as pulmonary hypertension. Others can increase your heart rate, which can increase your risk of developing an irregular heartbeat. Diet drugs can also cause an increase in blood pressure, which can put extra strain on your heart and increase your risk of atherosclerosis and heart failure.
Orlistat
Orlistat is one diet drug which has not been linked with heart disease. This is due to its mechanism; rather than working as an appetite suppressant, orlistat works by making it hard for your body to absorb fats from food, which helps reduce the number of calories that your body obtains from food. On the other hand, orlistat can cause liver damage in some people. Still, this is one of the few diet drugs which is safe for people who may already have cardiovascular disease.
