Acetazolamide promotes decreased consumption of carbonated drinks and weight loss

Abstract

Excessive consumption of carbonated drinks contributes to the dietary surplus of carbohydrates, and is a main driver of the obesity epidemic in the USA. From a public health standpoint, it is therefore crucial to develop strategies that enable individuals to regulate this calorie-rich, but nutrient-poor food intake. However, conservative medical approaches to this end have met with limited success. Using a pharmacological strategy to eliminate the effervescent aspect of carbonated drinks, we report significant weight loss in a patient with long-standing obesity. Administration of low-dose acetazolamide, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, resulted in altered taste of carbonation, and in turn a marked reduction in the patient's carbonated drink intake and the loss of almost 1 kg of body weight per week. The pharmacological intervention also resulted in appetite suppression, which might synergistically contribute to weight loss. These findings point to the use of low-dose acetazolamide as a novel weight reduction strategy.