abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work was to study weight loss and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or death associated with longer-term phentermine use. METHODS: Using electronic health record data, 13,972 adults were identified with a first phentermine fill in 2010 to 2015, creating exposure categories according to a patient's duration of use (referent: 12 months lost 7.4% more than the referent group at 24 months (P < 0.001). The composite CVD or death outcome was rare (0.3%, 41 events), with no significant difference in hazard ratios between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Greater weight loss without increased risk of incident CVD or death was observed in patients using phentermine monotherapy for longer than 3 months. Despite the limitations of the observational design, this study supports the effectiveness and safety of longer-term phentermine use for low-risk individuals.
