Low Level Laser Treatment (LLLT) and Lorcaserin for Weight Management

Summary

Currently in the United States about 97 million adults are considered obese, accounting for about 33% of the American adult population (compared to 22.9% in 1988). Obesity, defined as a body mass index of 30.0 or higher, is accountable for 44% of the diabetes, 23% of the ischemic heart disease and between 7% and 41% of certain cancers. The Erchonia® Zerona™ 2.0 Laser (which will be used in this study) has been approved by the FDA (K123237) as a non-invasive dermatological aesthetic treatment which can be used by individuals intending to reduce circumference of hips, waist, and thighs. Lorcaserin is a selective serotonin 2C (5-HT(2C)) receptor agonist. The exact mechanism of action is not known, but lorcaserin is believed to promote satiety and decrease food intake by activating 5-HT(2C) receptors on anorexigenic pro-opiomelanocortin neurons in the hypothalamus. Lorcaserin was approved by the FDA on June 2012 for weight management in people with a BMI of \> 27 kg/m2 (overweight) when accompanied by a weigh-related condition such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure or in people with a BMI \> 30 kg/m2 (obese). The purpose of this pilot study is to obtain preliminary data on: 1) effectiveness of the combination of LLLT and lorcaserin for reducing abdominal subcutaneous fat in overweight/obese individuals; 2) impact of LLLT on inflammatory biomarkers, blood sugar, and cholesterol.

Timeline

Start

2014-06

Primary completion

2015-12

Completion

2015-12

Publications

• Results Croghan IT, Ebbert JO, Schroeder DR, Hurt RT, Hagstrom V, Clark MM. A randomized, open-label pilot of the combination of low-level laser therapy and lorcaserin for weight loss. BMC Obes. 2016 Sep 29;3:42. doi: 10.1186/s40608-016-0122-4. eCollection 2016.

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Indications