Eating Disorders in Middle People

Binge-Eating Disorder (BED) is a common condition in the population. The disease attack both adults and children, and thus, it is a serious issue facing public health sector. The primary concern with the Binge Eating Disorder is that it lacks a clear and approved pharmacological treatment options. Further, the disease has been tied to obesity and thus, put it in the forefront of the public health concerns. In this Journal article, the authors’ main aim is to “examine the efficacy and safety of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, a dextroamphetamine prodrug, to treat moderate to severe BED.” ( McElroy et al., 2015). The author claims that there are many ways in which severe and mild BED can be managed, but the implementation of such methods have not been given much consideration in the health sectors. For instance, the author claim that Cognitive behavior therapy, as well as the interpersonal psychotherapy, are capable of reducing the severity of the BED, however, the author has noted that the implementation of these treatment approaches is not widespread in the population. Further, the authors have pointed out that, not many patients respond positively to this method. This is the sole reason why the author is interested in bringing to light another pharmacological approach which can help in reducing or eliminating the BED in the population. 

How the Research was conducted 

This research aims to bring to light a study which has an objective to examine the safety and efficacy of the lisdexamfetamine dimesylate versus the placebo among adults who suffers from moderate to severe Binge-Eating Disorder (BED). Their Research was a clinical trial, and the researcher obtained all the local legal as well as ethical research requirements to conduct the study. The participants were each issued with consent forms. This was to act as guides and to show them the objectives of the study. They supposed to sign the forms as a way of approving of being part of the study that they have understood its aim. The research was based on 31 sites located in the U.S. The research was conducted in the year 2011 all through to the years 2012. The average number of the research's participants was set at 10. Each participant was given a study duration of approximately 14 weeks. The study was conducted in specific sites which were deemed appropriate, among them were the clinical center, the university compounds, research center and much more. Many elimination methods were used to get the right targeted populace for the research, for instance, a mental disorder. It is worth noting at this point that getting individuals suffering from this kind of condition is very challenging since it sometimes goes unnoticed. This was the main issues which faced the researchers. However, some adults were diagnosed with this disease and were eligible for the study. Eating disorder module helped in confirming the diagnosis of the eligible participants. 

Random sampling was one of the primary method used to come up with the number of participants in the research. The randomized population was given either placebo or the lisdexamfetamine dimesylate using the interactive web-based voice system. In the study, both placebo and lisdexamfetamine dimesylate were made identical in color, shape, weight and much more so that the participants could not identify them. Both the placebo and the lisdexamfetamine dimesylate were in capsules, and the content was similar to the exclusion of the active ingredient which was only present in the lisdexamfetamine drug. “ The 3-week forced-dose titration period was followed by an8-week dose-maintenance period. Once-daily oral doses for participants assigned to 30-, 50-, or 70-mg/d treatment groups were initiated at the 30-mg/d dosage and titrated weekly in increments of 20 mg/d to the assigned dosage.” ( McElroy et al., 2015). In this research, safety and efficacy were given a significant priority. 

Findings 

The authors noted the following facts after carrying out the research. First, lisdexamfetamine dimesylate with 50 and 70mg/d decreased in the study of the adults with moderate to severe BED. The decrease was also observed in the weekly and episode response status of such patients. Further, there was an improvement for the adults who used lisdexamfetamine dimesylate dosage. Also, the participants and the clinical rated BED observers all reported that the signs and symptoms of this condition improved when the participants took the dosage of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate. In nearly all the participants, it was observed that their status improved when they used lisdexamfetamine dimesylate dosage. For the participants who used the placebo, their condition stagnated or even worsened off as compared to the group that used the lisdexamfetamine dimesylate dosage. This was a clear indication that lisdexamfetamine dimesylate dosage has an impact in reducing BED condition among adults. Further, “the findings provide substantial preliminary evidence that lisdexamfetamine may be effective for treatment of moderate to severe BED, which is consistent with its effect on DA and norepinephrine neurotransmitters and a potential effect on abnormal eating behaviors." 

Implication to the society and individual 

The study has proved that there is option which is available for those individuals who are diagnosed with BED conditions. For many years, it is documented that Binge-Eating Disorder (BED) has no specific pharmacological medication. This has been the primary challenges which have faced those who have been suffering from this condition. It has also lead to some death caused by this disease. The overall effect is that the society has been losing people who have the capability of improving it. However, it is time for such kind of deaths to be stopped by the usage of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate dosage. The study further implies that the government needs to fund for the availability of this drugs so that they should be well known and wide spread in a medical institution for the patient who suffers from this condition be helped. Lastly, it implies that there would be a lot of many saved in the society. Many people have spent a lot of money searching for a drug which could help in treating BED. With lisdexamfetamine dimesylate proven to be effective, such money can now be saved or relocated to other sectors to improve the society. 

Opinion 

Based on the result of this research, and the depth at which it was conducted, there is enough evidence that the outcome reflects the real picture of the effect of the lisdexamfetamine dimesylate dosage on the BED. However, most of the effective drugs sometimes fail to be noticed and thus are less helpful in population because they are not widespread. For this reason, the result of this research needs to be known for many people so that this useful drug should be used among the populace to help in treating those who are diagnosed with the BED. 

Future of the research 

The research has proved that lisdexamfetamine dimesylate is a proper medication for those who suffer from BED condition. However, there notable things which need more research before the drug is approved. First, it is indicated that the drug has shown some side effects on the participants. This requires more research on the safety of the drug. On the efficacy of this drug, advance research with more participant and more detailed than this study is necessary. 

Reference

McElroy, S. L., Hudson, J. I., Mitchell, J. E., Wilfley, D., Ferreira-Cornwell, M. C., Gao, J., ... & Gasior, M. (2015). Efficacy and safety of lisdexamfetamine for treatment of adults with moderate to severe binge-eating disorder: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry , 72 (3), 235-246.