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Clinical Guidelines: Zhaoping Li, Margaret Maglione, Wenli Tu, Walter Mojica, David Arterburn, Lisa R. Shugarman, Lara Hilton, Marika Suttorp, Vanessa Solomon, Paul G. Shekelle, and Sally C. Morton Meta-Analysis: Pharmacologic Treatment of Obesity Ann Intern Med 2005; 142: 532-546 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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Meta-analysis of pharmacologic treatment of obesity utilised irrelevant data

Kishore M Gadde   (3 May 2005)

Meta-analysis of pharmacologic treatment of obesity utilised irrelevant data 3 May 2005
Kishore M Gadde, MD Duke University Send rapid response to journal: Re: Meta-analysis of pharmacologic treatment of obesity utilised irrelevant data gadde001{at}mc.duke.edu Kishore M Gadde	For assessing weight loss efficacy of bupropion in the treatment of obesity, Li et al have pooled data from 3 RCTs. It is rather amusing that the largest data for bupropion's weight loss efficacy in this meta-analysis came from a trial (Croft et al 2002) assessing antidepressant efficacy of bupropion in patients with major depression. The primary outcome in that trial was not weight loss. The primary diagnosis of these patients was not obesity. Most of the patients in the study were not even obese. These patients did not enter this trial with the intent of losing weight. Bupropion was not tested in this trial for its weight loss. Li et al have erred in including data from this DEPRESSION study in a meta-analysis of pharmacologic treatment of OBESITY. These investigators have failed to see the difference between INTENTIONAL weight loss as the desired effect and a SIDE EFFECT reported in a sample that is not the topic of this meta-analysis. Conflict of Interest: Received research funding from GSK, Lilly, Elan and Forest Labs.