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Objective Glucagon-like peptide-1 is an insulin secretion-stimulating gut hormone that is produced in response to food intake. Orlistat (Xenical, F. Hoffman-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland), which decreases fat absorption and increases intestinal fat content, may therefore affect the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1. In this study we examined the immediate effects of orlistat on postprandial serum glucose, insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 levels prior to a change in body weight. Design Randomized, clinical study. Patients Sixteen nondiabetic obese patients (body mass index 35·7 ± 3·8 kg/m2, range 32·5–43·1) were enrolled in this study. The patients were randomly assigned to either the group treated with orlistat (120 mg, single dose) or the control group. There were eight patients in each of the two groups. Orlistat was given before a standard 600-kcal mixed meal containing 60% carbohydrates, 25% lipids and 15% protein. Blood samples were collected at baseline and at 30-min intervals for 180 min after the test meal. Graphical tendencies, peak value, time to reach the peak value, and area under the curve in the two groups were compared. Measurements Blood samples were obtained for the measurement of GLP-1, glucose, insulin, high density lipoprotein, total cholesterol and triglycerides. Results We found no difference in sex distribution, mean age, anthropometric measurements, or baseline glucose, insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 levels between the orlistat and placebo groups. The peak insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 levels were determined at 60 min in the control group. Hourly changes in serum glucose and insulin levels were similar between the groups, although the peak insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 levels were reached at 120 min in the orlistat group. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups. Conclusions A single dose of 120-mg orlistat caused no change in postprandial serum glucose, insulin or glucagon-like peptide-1 levels in nondiabetic obese patients. Although glucagon-like peptide-1 increases were delayed in the orlistat group, these changes were nonsignificant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]