Assignment

Lorcaserin General information Lorcaserin, known by the Trade Belviq, is a selective serotonin 2C (5-HT2C) receptor agonist used as a weight loss drug (Taylor, et al, 2013). Lorcaserin is administered orally as a tablet, and this is usually done without regard to meals. The exact mechanism of the action of this during is not fully understood, but is believed that it helps in reducing food intake, leading to weight loss (Taylor, et al, 2013). Lorcaserin was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2012.
Core Patient Variables
Health Status: Patients with moderate renal or hepatic impairments do not have to make dosing adjustments. Patients with severe renal disease are not supposed to use Lorcaserin.
Life span and gender: Lorcaserin can be used by both men and women. The mean recommended age for use is 18-65 years.
Lifestyle: Patients with a body mass index (BMI) of between 27 and 45kg/m2 are recommended to use the drug. In addition, Lorcaserin is used by patients exhibiting at least one weight-related health problem such as hypertension and type-2 diabetes.
Nursing implications: Efficacy and safety
In 2006, Phase III of the lorcaserin development program was started, and this involved three main trials: Behavioral Modification and Lorcaserin for Overweight and Obesity Management (BLOOM) trial, Behavioral Modification and Lorcaserin Second Study for Obesity Management (BLOSSOM) trial and the Behavioral Modification and Lorcaserin for Overweight and Obesity Management in Diabetes Mellitus (BLOOM-DM) trial (Bays, 2011). In general, all these trials showed that the participants showed weight reduction of between 5 and 10%. In all these trials, weight loss was observed after 52 weeks from the period of administering the drug. Overall, this drug has been found to be effective in reducing weigh in patients with and without the type-2 diabetes (Bays, 2011). In addition, the three trials also revealed that most of the patients involved in the study were satisfied with the performance of the drug. Since lorcaserin appears to be ell received by both patients and clinicians, it does offer an alternative to surgery.
Despite the impressive results noted in the trials, a number of side-effects are associated with the use of lorcaserin. These include headache, nausea, dizziness, upper respiratory tract infections and nasopharyngitis (DiNicolantonio, et al 2014). In addition, there is concern that the use of lorcaserin is associated with increased incidences of depression. There is need for further analysis and understanding of the degree to which lorcaserin contributes to these side effects and how they can be minimized.
The intended audience for the brochure
Obesity is a big issue across the world. It is a major health concern because of the chronic illnesses associated with it. This brochure is therefore intended to enlighten adults, mainly between the ages of 18 and 65 years, on this new development in the treatment of obesity. This brochure is intended to provide this audience with relevant, timely and accurate information regarding the drug and its effects. Furthermore, clinicians and heath care service providers may find the information contained herein useful.
References
Bays, H. (2011). Lorcaserin: drug profile and illustrative model of the regulatory challenges of weight-loss drug development. Expert Review Of Cardiovascular Therapy, 9(3), 265-277. doi: 10. 1586/erc. 10. 22
DiNicolantonio JJ, et al (2014). Lorcaserin for the treatment of obesity? A closer look at its side effects. Open Heart 1: e000173. doi: 10. 1136/openhrt-2014-000173; pp. 1-3.
Taylor, J., Dietrich, E., & Powell, J. (2013). Lorcaserin for weight management. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome And Obesity: Targets And Therapy, 209. doi: 10. 2147/dmso. s36276