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Effect of Diet Drugs on Heart Rate

Diet drugs are more popular than ever. In addition to claims that they will help you lose weight, there are some health concerns. One of the main concerns of health professionals pertaining to diet drugs is the effect that these diet drugs have on your heart rate. Most diet drugs will contain ingredients that have a stimulative effect that will cause your heart rate to rise. A nominal increase in heart rate can be safe, but the possibility of an unsafe heart rate increase is a cause for concern.

  1. Appetite Suppressants

    • Many diet drugs are meant to suppress the appetite. These drugs are used to decrease the amount of desire for food and lessen cravings. One of the most common diet drugs is called Sibutramine (Meridia). Sibutramine and other appetite suppressants of a similar nature are nervous systems stimulants. Nervous system stimulants raise blood pressure and heart rate. Often these drugs have other side effects such as headache, dry mouth and insomnia.

    Most Common Diet Drug Ingredients That Increase Heart Rate

    • Diet drugs increase heart rate by the use of ingredients that have a stimulative effect. The most common stimulant found in diet drugs is caffeine. Caffeine is a well known stimulant (most commonly consumed in coffee) and causes the heart rate to rise. The reason why caffeine is used is that it is thought to increase the metabolism which causes an increase in energy expenditure along with the breakdown of fatty acids.

      The other most common ingredients found in diet drugs are vitamin compounds. These vitamin compounds often contain riboflavin, B-6, B-12, folic acid and thiamine. The vitamins used in these compounds are known to increase the metabolic rate and are therefore very popular in diet drug formulations.

    Fat Blockers

    • Fat blockers are also a common additive in many prescription and OTC (Over The Counter) diet drugs. Fat blockers block a portion of the fat the body uptakes from food that is consumed. This increases the heart rate because it increases the amount of energy that must be expended during the digestive process. In doing so, they actively cause the body to separate fat from the rest of the material being digested.

    Banning of Ephedra

    • One of the more common additives in diet pills of the past, ephedra is now banned from use in the United States. Ephedra is a strong stimulant that increase the heart rate by rapidly increasing the metabolic rate. It was once used in almost all OTC weight loss products and was usually combined with caffeine. The drugs with this combination did prove to be effective, but the rapid increase in metabolic rate was linked to several heart attack cases.

    Considerations

    • When deciding to use any diet drugs, it is wise to consult a licensed medical professional to make sure that they are safe for you to use. Make sure to follow the instructions on the packaging and do not exceed the dosage suggested. Determine what the goals of your diet are before use.

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