Obesity pillars roundtable: Phentermine – Past, present, and future

BACKGROUND: Phentermine is a sympathomimetic amine, approved for “short-term”treatment of patients with obesity. Among phentermine contraindications include use in patients with cardiovascular disease or patients with uncontrolled hypertension. METHODS: This roundtable discussion includes perspectives from 3 obesity specialists with experience in the clinical use of phentermine. The questions asked of the panelists were derived from publications regarding phentermine safety and efficacy. RESULTS: While the panelists generally agreed upon core principles of phentermine use, each obesity specialist had their own priorities and style regarding the administration of phentermine. Among the variances in perceptions (based upon their individual “real world” clinical experiences) included the degree of efficacy and degree of clinical benefit of phentermine, degree of concern regarding phentermine use in patients with cardiovascular disease risk factors, the advisability of a screening electrocardiogram, and the role of telehealth in prescribing phentermine and monitoring for the efficacy and safety of phentermine. CONCLUSIONS: Providing universal guidance regarding phentermine treatment for obesity is challenging because of the lack of long-term, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, health outcomes data. Such data is unlikely forthcoming any time soon. Also challenging are the substantial variances in governmental restrictions on phentermine use. Therefore, clinicians are left to rely on the best available evidence, their individual practical clinical experience, as well as the collective clinical experiences of others – as reflected by this roundtable.