Effects of Betahistine Hydrochloride in Overweight Women

Summary

This study will evaluate the effects of a drug called betahistine on appetite and food intake in overweight women. Betahistine has been used for many years to treat vertigo (dizziness). It was taken off the market in the United States in 1970 because it was thought to be ineffective for vertigo, but is still used for this purpose in many other countries. Some research suggests that betahistine may reduce appetite and food intake. Healthy overweight women between 18 and 50 years of age may be eligible for this study. Candidates must have a body mass index (BMI) between 30 and 40 and weigh less than 300 pounds. They are screened with a medical history and physical examination, blood and urine tests, electrocardiogram (EKG), breathing test and eating behavior questionnaires. Participants are admitted to the NIH Clinical Center for a 3-day/2-night stay for the following procedures: * Medication: Subjects take either betahistine (in one of three possible doses) or placebo capsules one time on the days of admission to the Clinical Center (day 1), three times on day 2 and two times on day 3. * Blood tests and 24-hour urine collection. * Resting metabolic rate: Subjects rest quietly for 1 hour after awakening and then rest again under a clear plastic hood or while wearing a face mask, breathing normally for about 25 minutes. * DEXA scan to measure body fat, muscle, and bone mineral content: Subjects lie on a table above a source of X-rays while a very small dose of X-rays is passed through the body. * Meal studies: Subjects food intake is measured on days 2 and 3. * Questionnaires: Subjects complete questionnaires about how hungry or full they are feeling and rate how much they liked the foods they ate.

Timeline

Start

2007-04-10

Primary completion

2011-02-14

Completion

2011-02-14

Publications

• Background Hedley AA, Ogden CL, Johnson CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, Flegal KM. Prevalence of overweight and obesity among US children, adolescents, and adults, 1999-2002. JAMA. 2004 Jun 16;291(23):2847-50. doi: 10.1001/jama.291.23.2847.
• Background Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ, Flegal KM. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. JAMA. 2006 Apr 5;295(13):1549-55. doi: 10.1001/jama.295.13.1549.
• Background Vidal J. Updated review on the benefits of weight loss. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002 Dec;26 Suppl 4:S25-8. doi: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0802215.
• Pietila TK, Cantini E, Itkonen ST, Salonen A, Pajari AM. Replacing red meat with non-soy legumes alters choline metabolites but not systemic inflammation or proxies of gut barrier function in healthy males in a 6-week RCT. J Nutr Biochem. 2026 Aug;154:110355. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2026.110355. Epub 2026 Mar 27.
• Ballenger KL, Tugarinov N, Talvacchio SK, Knue MM, Dang Do AN, Ahlman MA, Reynolds JC, Yanovski JA, Marini JC. Osteogenesis Imperfecta: The Impact of Genotype and Clinical Phenotype on Adiposity and Resting Energy Expenditure. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Jan 1;107(1):67-76. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgab679.
• Ali AH, Yanoff LB, Stern EA, Akomeah A, Courville A, Kozlosky M, Brady SM, Calis KA, Reynolds JC, Crocker MK, Barak N, Yanovski JA. Acute effects of betahistine hydrochloride on food intake and appetite in obese women: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Dec;92(6):1290-7. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.110.001586. Epub 2010 Sep 29.

Drugs

Indications