Phentermine alone is approved only for short-term use as an adjunct to diet, exercise and behavior change.
Correct Answer
True
True. Single-agent phentermine is labeled for short-term use because tolerance develops and long-term safety has not been established; the extended-release combination with topiramate is the form approved for chronic weight management.
Category: Anorexiants
Question 2
Phentermine is best taken at bedtime so its stimulant effects occur during sleep.
Correct Answer
False
False. Phentermine is taken early in the day, because a late dose commonly causes insomnia along with restlessness and nervousness.
Category: Anorexiants
Question 3
Glaucoma is a contraindication to phentermine.
Correct Answer
True
True. As a sympathomimetic amine, phentermine can dilate the pupils and worsen glaucoma, so glaucoma is listed with hyperthyroidism, cardiovascular disease, agitated states and a history of drug misuse as a contraindication.
Category: Anorexiants
Question 4
Topiramate exposure early in pregnancy is linked to oral clefts such as cleft lip and cleft palate.
Correct Answer
True
True. This fetal risk is why phentermine-topiramate requires pregnancy testing, effective contraception and a REMS program for patients who can become pregnant.
Category: Phentermine-Topiramate
Question 5
Naltrexone-bupropion may be taken together with another bupropion product, such as one prescribed for smoking cessation.
Correct Answer
False
False. Using naltrexone-bupropion with any other bupropion-containing product is contraindicated, because the added bupropion raises the risk of seizures and other dose-related adverse effects; the nurse reviews the medication list for duplicate bupropion.
Category: Naltrexone-Bupropion
Question 6
Phentermine-topiramate can slow thinking, memory and word-finding, so patients should be careful when driving until they know how it affects them.
Correct Answer
True
True. Topiramate causes cognitive impairment such as trouble concentrating, memory problems and word-finding difficulty, and alcohol or other CNS depressants add to these effects.
Category: Phentermine-Topiramate
Question 7
Rare cases of severe liver injury have been reported with orlistat, so patients should report yellowing skin, dark urine or loss of appetite.
Correct Answer
True
True. Although orlistat acts in the gut, postmarketing reports include severe liver injury, so signs of hepatic dysfunction such as jaundice, dark urine, pale stools, itching or anorexia should be reported promptly.
Category: Orlistat
Question 8
Orlistat is a good choice for a patient with chronic malabsorption syndrome.
Correct Answer
False
False. Orlistat further reduces fat absorption, so chronic malabsorption syndrome is a contraindication, as is cholestasis.
Category: Orlistat
Question 9
Oily stools and fecal urgency from orlistat become worse when meals are low in fat.
Correct Answer
False
False. GI effects of orlistat increase with high-fat meals because more unabsorbed fat reaches the colon, so spreading fat intake over meals and keeping it moderate reduces them.
Category: Orlistat
Question 10
GLP-1 receptor agonists used for weight management can raise the resting heart rate.
Correct Answer
True
True. Labeling for these drugs warns of increases in resting heart rate, so heart rate is monitored and patients report palpitations or a racing heart at rest.
Category: GLP-1 and GIP Agonists
Question 11
Semaglutide is approved for chronic weight management only in patients who also have type 2 diabetes.
Correct Answer
False
False. Semaglutide is approved for weight management in people with obesity, or overweight with a weight-related condition, whether or not they have diabetes.
Category: GLP-1 and GIP Agonists
Question 12
Weight-loss drugs are not used during pregnancy because weight loss offers no benefit then and may harm the fetus.
Correct Answer
True
True. Pregnancy normally requires some weight gain, so weight-management drugs are stopped when pregnancy is recognized or planned, and some, such as phentermine-topiramate, are known to cause fetal harm.
Category: Weight Management Principles
Question 13
As patients with type 2 diabetes lose weight on weight-management drugs, their diabetes medication needs usually stay the same.
Correct Answer
False
False. Weight loss improves insulin sensitivity, so doses of insulin or sulfonylureas often need to be lowered to prevent hypoglycemia, and glucose is monitored closely.
Category: Weight Management Principles
Question 14
Weight-management drugs are intended to replace a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
Correct Answer
False
False. These drugs are approved only as adjuncts to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, which remain the foundation of treatment.
Category: Weight Management Principles
Question 15
Genetics plays no role in the development of obesity.
Correct Answer
False
False. Obesity results from many interacting factors, including genes such as FTO, environment, sleep, stress, medications and hormones, which is why it is treated as a chronic medical condition.
Category: Obesity Basics
Question 16
Phendimetrazine should not be combined with other stimulant appetite suppressants such as phentermine.
Correct Answer
True
True. Combining phendimetrazine with other anorectic agents or CNS stimulants is contraindicated because their sympathomimetic effects add together, raising the risk of hypertension, dysrhythmias and other cardiovascular events.
Category: Anorexiants
Question 17
A patient taking naltrexone-bupropion can expect usual pain relief from opioid analgesics.
Correct Answer
False
False. The naltrexone component blocks opioid receptors, so opioid analgesics may not work; chronic opioid use is a contraindication, and the drug is stopped temporarily if opioid treatment is needed.
Category: Naltrexone-Bupropion
Question 18
Naltrexone-bupropion can raise blood pressure and heart rate.
Correct Answer
True
True. The bupropion component has stimulant effects, so blood pressure and pulse are checked before and during treatment, and uncontrolled hypertension is a contraindication.
Category: Naltrexone-Bupropion
Question 19
Chromium picolinate may lower blood glucose, so patients who use insulin need closer glucose monitoring if they take it.
Correct Answer
True
True. Chromium plays a role in glucose metabolism and may lower glucose, so people using insulin or other diabetes drugs should involve their provider and watch for hypoglycemia.
Category: Supplements and Herbals
Question 20
Hoodia gordonii has been proven effective for weight loss in large human trials.
Correct Answer
False
False. Hoodia, an African succulent traditionally used to curb appetite, is widely marketed, but there is little human research showing that it works.
Category: Supplements and Herbals