Drug with potential to reduce weight identified

In what could lead to anti-obesity treatment for the elderly who may not always have the fitness to exercise, researchers have discovered that an existing drug used in transplants may help reduce food consumption and body weight. Rapamycin, a pharmaceutical used to coat coronary stents and prevent transplant rejection, reduces obesity and preserves lean body mass when given intermittently to older rats, the findings showed. “We need to be able to intervene with treatments for older adults. They`re going to have health care issues, and not everyone can get up and exercise,” said study co-lead author Christy Carter, assistant professor at University of Florida College of Medicine. “So if you can give them a jump-start or combine rapamycin with other therapies, you could have better health outcomes,” Carter said.