Drug For Overactive Bladder May Help You Lose Weight

A drug that's already used to treat overactive bladder may be beneficial for burning fat, according to recent findings published in the journal Cell Metabolism. Researchers found that it helped to reduce white fat stores, while boosting brown fat that helps burn energy that's needed for body heat.

For the study, they gave 12 healthy, lean young men a high dose of the drug mirabegron (Myrbetriq). Findings showed that it boosted metabolic rate, activating the brown fat cells to burn calories and generate heat, according to study author Dr. Aaron Cypress, leader of the translational physiology at the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

The men involved in the study took a single dose of the drug in one session and another single dose of a placebo in another. The average age of the participants was 22. Researchers measured metabolic rates by scans, including positron emission tomography (PET) and CT scans.

Findings revealed that the effects of the drug on fat-burning were "mild to moderate if sustained." The drug works by activating a beta 3-adregergic receptor that's found on the surface of brown fat cells, which is also found on urinary bladder cells. It works by calming an overactive bladder and relaxing the muscle cells there.

Two-hundred milligram (mg) doses were given to participants, versus 50 mg for overactive bladder. However, researchers cautioned that people should not take the drug expecting to lose weight.

While the dose was typically well-tolerated, it did abnormally raise heart rate to high levels, adding an extra 14 beats a minute.

Researchers concluded that more research will be needed to study the drug, particularly concerning the goals of weight loss and potential side-effects concerning abnormal heart rate. 

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