Methods of treating overweight and obesity

1. A method of treating a subject at increased risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event for overweight or obesity comprising:

administering to an overweight or obese subject at increased risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event a therapeutically effective amount of 32 mg sustained release naltrexone per day, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and 360 mg sustained release bupropion per day, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;

wherein said overweight or obese subject is at increased risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event if said subject has been diagnosed as having cardiovascular disease with at least one risk factor selected from the group consisting of:

a history of documented myocardial infarction ≥3 months prior to said identification;

a history of coronary revascularization including coronary artery bypass graft surgery, stent placement, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, or laser atherectomy;

angina with ischemic changes, ECG changes on a graded exercise test, or positive cardiac imaging study;

ankle brachial index <0.9 assessed by simple palpation within prior 2 years of said identification; and

≥50% stenosis of a coronary, carotid, or lower extremity artery within prior 2 years of said identification, and

wherein said subject is treated for at least 16 weeks.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said subject does not have Type 2 diabetes mellitus with at least 2 risk factors selected from the group consisting of:

hypertension controlled with or without pharmacotherapy at ≤145/95 mm Hg; dyslipidemia requiring pharmacotherapy;

documented low HDL cholesterol, ≤50 mg/dL in women or ≤40 mg/dL in men, within prior 12 months of said identification; and

current tobacco smoker.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing said subject with a web-based weight management program, a phone-based weight management program, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said phone-based weight management program comprise one or more coaching calls to said subject.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein said phone-based weight management program optionally comprises one or more web coaching tools.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein said web-based or phonebased weight management program provides said subject with one or more of behavioral, nutritional or fitness education.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein said weight management program comprises one or more activities selected from the group of weekly recording of said subject's weight, daily recording of said subject's food intake, and daily recording of said subject's activity.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein said weight management program comprises said subject recording said subject's food intake, wherein said program can track calories for said recorded food intake using a computer database of calories for specific food and/or meals.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the subject achieves a percentage of weight loss of at least 5%.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject does not receive an intensive behavioral modification (BMOD) program for weight loss.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said treatment with naltrexone and bupropion does not increase said subject's risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said treatment with naltrexone and bupropion decreases said subject's risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said sustained release naltrexone, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in two 8 mg doses twice daily, and said sustained release bupropion, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in two 90 mg doses twice daily.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said major adverse cardiovascular event is cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke.

15. A method of treating a subject at increased risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event for overweight or obesity comprising:

administering to an overweight or obese subject at increased risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event a therapeutically effective amount of 32 mg sustained release naltrexone per day, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and 360 mg sustained release bupropion per day, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;

wherein said overweight or obese subject is at increased risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event if said subject has been diagnosed as having cardiovascular disease with at least one risk factor selected from the group consisting of:

a history of documented myocardial infarction >3 months prior to said identification;

a history of coronary revascularization including coronary artery bypass graft surgery, stent placement, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, or laser atherectomy;

angina with ischemic changes, ECG changes on a graded exercise test, or positive cardiac imaging study;

ankle brachial index <0.9 assessed by simple palpation within prior 2 years of said identification; and

>50% stenosis of a coronary, carotid, or lower extremity artery within prior 2 years of said identification; and

wherein the subject is administered said sustained release naltrexone, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and said sustained release bupropion, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, in a tablet containing 8 mg of sustained release naltrexone and 90 mg of sustained release bupropion.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said sustained release naltrexone, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in two 8 mg doses twice daily, and said sustained release bupropion, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in two 90 mg doses twice daily.

17. A method of treating a subject at increased risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event for overweight or obesity comprising:

administering to an overweight or obese subject at increased risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event a therapeutically effective amount of 32 mg sustained release naltrexone per day, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and 360 mg sustained release bupropion per day, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;

wherein said overweight or obese subject is at increased risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event if said subject has been diagnosed as having cardiovascular disease with at least one risk factor selected from the group consisting of:

a history of documented myocardial infarction >3 months prior to said identification;

a history of coronary revascularization including coronary artery bypass graft surgery, stent placement, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, or laser atherectomy;

angina with ischemic changes, ECG changes on a graded exercise test, or positive cardiac imaging study;

ankle brachial index <0.9 assessed by simple palpation within prior 2 years of said identification; and

>50% stenosis of a coronary, carotid, or lower extremity artery within prior 2 years of said identification; and

wherein said major adverse cardiovascular event is cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said major adverse cardiovascular event is cardiovascular death.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said sustained release naltrexone, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in two 8 mg doses twice daily, and said sustained release bupropion, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in two 90 mg doses twice daily.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the subject is administered said sustained release naltrexone, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and said sustained release bupropion, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, in a tablet containing 8 mg of sustained release naltrexone and 90 mg of sustained release bupropion.