A treatment typically used to control Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may also benefit people with binge-eating disorders.
"At the lower dose, that was not any different than placebo, but when you looked at the moderate and higher dose, both of those were superior to placebo when you looked at patients after about week 11 in terms of reducing their frequency of their binge episodes," explained Dr. Leslie Heinberg, who did not take part in the study but is a psychologist at Cleveland Clinic's Bariatric and Metabolic Institute.
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Binge eating disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of excessive food consumption. It's gaining recognition as a serious health problem because of its association with obesity and depression.
Researchers at the research institute, Lindner Center of Hope, looked at how effective the ADHD drug Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate might be in controlling binge eating. They did this by splitting more than 500 people with into 4 groups receiving 30, 50, or 70 milligrams of the drug, per day; or placebo.
After 11 weeks results show binge eating days per week decreasing in the 50 and 70 milligram treatment groups. Heinberg agrees with researchers who say more studies are needed, but the results could be a good first step to finding an improved treatment for moderate to severe binge-eating disorders.
"Finding good treatments for binge eating disorder are very important given how many people it affects," Heinberg said.
Complete findings for the study can be found online in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.