orlistat and Hypoglycemia

Besides the classical dietary regimen, it is possible to use specific pharmacological approaches, targeted at the intestine, in order to treat some metabolic disorders. Three approaches will be described: anionic resins for treating hypercholesterolaemia, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors for treating diabetes mellitus and reactive hypoglycaemia, and intestinal lipase inhibitors for treating obesity. All these drugs are based on original concepts, but their clinical use is often limited by the occurrence of digestive side-effects. The latter may generally be reduced by progressive and individual titration of the dosage of each drug and/or by following an appropriate diet.

Topics: Acarbose; Anion Exchange Resins; Anti-Obesity Agents; Cholestyramine Resin; Diabetes Mellitus; Enzyme Inhibitors; Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Hypoglycemia; Hypoglycemic Agents; Hypolipidemic Agents; Intestine, Small; Lactones; Lipase; Metabolic Diseases; Orlistat; Trisaccharides