Findings of a meta-analysis of four trials, which were conducted last November and involved 4,105 patients randomly assigned 20mg rimonabant daily or placebo, found that patients given rimonabant were 2.5 times more likely to stop treatment because of depression than those on placebo.

Patients were also three times more likely to quit treatment because of anxiety.

But despite this, NICE recommends that rimonabant be used as an addition to diet and exercise for adults who are obese or overweight and who have had an inadequate response to orlistat and sibutramine.

Dr David Haslam, clinical director of the National Obesity Forum, said that rimonabant was clinically effective and appropriate for patients provided that the benefits were weighed up against any potential side-effects.

Andrew Dillon, executive lead for the NICE obesity guidelines, added: 'This is good news for patients for whom orlistat and sibutramine are not effective.'

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