Lorcaserin, a weight loss drug, has been hailed
as a “holy grail” in the battle against obesity. It works by
suppressing the appetite and increasing satiety but,
unlike many weight loss drugs, scientists found
[5] lorcaserin did not raise the risk of cardiovascular
problems among at-risk individuals who took part in a
clinical trial.
Tam Fry of the U.K. said: “I think there will be
several holy grails, but this is a holy grail and one which
[10] has been certainly at the back of the mind of a lot of
specialists for a long time.However, Fry cautioned: “But
all of the other things apply—lifestyle change has got
to be root and branch part of this.”
To test the safety of lorcaserin, the researchers
[15] recruited 12,000 overweight or obese patients. They
randomly assigned the participants a placebo or
lorcaserin. Over a three-year period, the state of their
health was documented.The study revealed that
patients who took lorcaserin lost 4.2 kilograms on
[20] average (9 pounds), while those on the placebo lost
1.4 kilograms (3 pounds).And participants who took
lorcaserin were at no greater risk of experiencing a
cardiovascular event, like a stroke, when compared with
those who were given the placebo.
[25] In the past, weight loss drugs have been
discontinued after being found to increase the risk of
heart attacks, strokes, pulmonary hypertension, and
valvular heart disease, the authors emphasized.
Gander, Kashmira. Disponível em: https://www.newsweek.com/ lorcaserin-holy-grail-weight-loss drug-...-1092239. Acesso em: 1 nov. 2018.
Fill in the parentheses with T (True) or F (False).
About lorcaserin, the text says that it
( ) works by inducing a feeling of fullness.
( ) requires no change in people’s lifestyles.
( ) promotes weight loss without harming a person’s heart health.
( ) increases the risk of heart problems only among the people with a past history of cardiovascular troubles.
The correct sequence, from top to bottom, is
