A Cleveland Clinic landmark study on obesity and cancer, led by Ali Aminian, M.D., director of Cleveland Clinic’s Bariatric & Metabolic Institute, was recognized with a 2023 Top Ten Clinical Research Achievement Award by the Clinical Research Forum (CR Forum). The award-winning paper, the SPLENDID study that was published in JAMA, also received an additional recognition as a Distinguished Clinical Research Awardee.
Tag: Obesity
More structure, fewer screens makes for healthier kids in the school holidays
Vacation care, sports programs, or performing arts – whatever your child’s interests, researchers say that adding structure to the school holiday is a great way to keep kids healthy and active over the break.
‘Beige fat’ could hold key to age-related metabolism change
New research suggests a strategy to ward off age-related weight gain, which could prevent obesity and associated health disorders like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and chronic inflammation.
Men and women have different obesity drivers, pointing to the need for tailored interventions
A new study from UCLA researchers finds sex-specific brain signals that appear to confirm that different drivers lead men and women to develop obesity.
Succinate Protects against Obesity, Metabolic Disease through Brown Fat Protein Expression
Article title: Exogenous succinate impacts mouse brown adipose tissue mitochondrial proteome and potentiates body mass reduction induced by liraglutide Authors: Rodrigo S. Gaspar, Jeany Delafiori, Giuliana Zuccoli, Victor Corasolla Carregari, Thais P. Prado, Joseane Morari, Davi Sidarta-Oliveira, Carina S. Solon,…
Obesity treatment could offer dramatic weight loss without surgery or nausea
Imagine getting the benefits of gastric bypass surgery without going under the knife. A new class of potential treatments has done that in lab animals, reducing weight dramatically and lowering blood glucose without side effects, scientists report. They will present their results at ACS Spring 2023.
A Registered Dietitian’s Reaction to the New FDA Proposed Rule on Salt
According to the American Heart Association, roughly 90% of Americans are overdoing it on salt, consuming over twice the daily recommended amount. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced recently it was proposing a rule to allow the use of salt…
New survey finds COVID-19 pandemic changed public’s view of obesity
Nearly a third of Americans (29%) say COVID-19 made them more worried than ever about having obesity prompting about 28 million people to consider weight-loss methods they hadn’t thought about before the pandemic began, including nearly 6.4 million thought about turning to either weight-loss surgery or taking prescription anti-obesity drugs for the first time, according to a new survey whose findings were published online in the peer-reviewed journal, Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases (SOARD).
British public back ban on selling junk foods at checkouts study shows
Shoppers join food industry and health experts in backing UK plans to ban high fat, salt and sugar products from checkouts, store entrances and aisle ends
Naturally occurring peptide may tackle the ‘root cause’ of obesity-related conditions
Research published today shows that a peptide (small protein) called PEPITEM could provide a revolutionary approach to reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and other obesity-related diseases such as hepatic steatosis (fatty liver).
Mothers’ Obesity Damages Blood-brain Barrier in Offspring, Lean Foster Mothers’ Milk May Be Preventive Tool
Article title: Maternal obesity damages the median eminence blood-brain barrier structure and function in the progeny: the beneficial impact of cross-fostering by lean mothers Authors: Roberta Haddad-Tóvolli, Joseane Morari, Roberta Barbizan, Vanessa C. Bóbbo, Rodrigo S. Carraro, Carina Solon, Nathalia…
Women with Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes May Improve Vascular Insulin Resistance through Weight Loss
Article title: Impact of sex and diet-induced weight loss on vascular insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes Authors: Camila Manrique-Acevedo, Rogerio Nogueira Soares, James A. Smith, Lauren K. Park, Katherine Burr, Francisco I. Ramirez-Perez, Neil J. McMillan, Larissa Ferreira-Santos, Neekun…
Precarious work associated with high BMI
A study inks precarious work with increases in body mass index and adds to a growing body of evidence that precarious work may contribute to poor health outcomes.
Cleveland Clinic Study Finds Common Artificial Sweetener Linked to Higher Rates of Heart Attack and Stroke
New Cleveland Clinic research showed that erythritol, a popular artificial sweetener, is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Findings were published today in Nature Medicine.
Research network yields significant findings related to obesity
In 2017, Vanderbilt University Medical Center was selected to be one of four U.S. medical centers in a Strategically Focused Research Network (SFRN) on Obesity funded by a four-year, $15 million award from the American Heart Association to study obesity and train future obesity-focused investigators.
Genes that may predict complications from obesity differ between the sexes
In a new study published February 16, 2023, in Nature Genetics, researchers from the University of Chicago characterized the impact of a genetic variant associated with higher cholesterol and triglyceride blood levels in women, suggesting that similar genes might lead to different patterns of fat distribution and obesity-related disease risk for women.
Overweight and Obesity in People With Type 1 Diabetes Nearly Same as General Population
A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that Americans with type 1 diabetes had overweight or obesity at almost the same high rates observed in persons without diabetes.
Overweight and obesity prevalent and poorly managed among adults with type 1 diabetes
A brief research report found adults with type 1 diabetes had overweight or obesity at the same rates as adults without diabetes, but only half of these patients received lifestyle recommendations from providers or engaged in lifestyle modification for weight management. The report is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
The weight of the COVID-19 pandemic
“A potential pathway between obesity and these stressors could be related to weight bias and stigma; there was extensive media coverage highlighting obesity as a potential risk factor for COVID-19 mortality which may have increased weight stigma,” the researchers wrote. The study examined data from nearly 24,000 participants enrolled in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), who were between the ages of 50 and 96 during the first year of the pandemic. The participants completed the CLSA COVID-19 Questionnaire Study, which collected longitudinal data from April to December 2020. The researchers also used data collected before the pandemic to examine if childhood adversity, such as abuse and neglect, was a factor that modified the relationship between obesity and stress.
Study Unravels Interplay Between Sleep, Chronic Pain and Spinal Cord Stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation uses low levels of electricity to relieve pain. A study is the first to measure this treatment’s effects on patients by gauging improvement in insomnia after spinal cord stimulation. Results showed a 30 percent or more improvement of both nighttime and daytime components of insomnia in 39.1 percent of study participants and a 30 percent or more improvement of daytime sleepiness in 28.1 percent of participants. Findings correlated with improvement in disability and depression and revealed associations with sleep and both pain and depression. Results will help clinicians gain a better understanding of the type of patient most likely to benefit from this treatment.
Clemson scientists identify enzyme that reduces diet-induced obesity in humans
Clemson University researchers have identified an enzyme and its products in humans that reduce diet-induced obesity.
Vitamin A May Protect Heart from Some Effects of Obesity
Research in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity found greater disruption to genes involved in heart function when coupled with vitamin A deficiency. The study is published in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology. It was chosen as an APSselect article for January.
Breast Cancer Risk Calculator Can Assess Risk of Advanced Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is now the leading cause of global cancer incidence among women but determining who will develop breast cancer is still a challenge for the medical community. A new tool, developed by researchers from UCSF and several other medical institutions, helps to calculate risk for those who may develop advanced breast cancer that goes undiagnosed despite regular screenings.
Study reveals obesity-related trigger that can lead to diabetes
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that a defect in an enzyme called APT1 interferes with the ability to secrete insulin, contributing to the development of Type 2 diabetes in people who are overweight or obese.
After 40 Years of Decline, Stroke Death Rates Are Rising Again
Millennials face a greater risk of ischemic stroke death than Generation X, according to a Rutgers study.
Potential New Targets Identified in Advanced Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Using the latest technologies—including both single-nuclear sequencing of mice and human liver tissue and advanced 3D glass imaging of mice to characterize key scar-producing liver cells—researchers have uncovered novel candidate drug targets for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The research was led by investigators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Utilizing these innovative methods, the investigators discovered a network of cell-to-cell communication driving scarring as liver disease advances. The findings, published online on January 4 in Science Translational Medicine, could lead to new treatments.
UT Southwestern immunologists uncover obesity-linked trigger to severe form of liver disease
UT Southwestern immunologists have uncovered a key pathogenic event prompted by obesity that can trigger severe forms of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and potential liver failure.
MD Anderson Research Highlights for December 19, 2022
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recent basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. Current advances include a cell cycle checkpoint inhibitor with potential therapeutic effects in an ovarian cancer subtype, a telementoring program for French-speaking oncology providers in Africa, insights into the relationship between obesity and immunotherapy side effects, updates to the world’s largest cancer drug discovery knowledgebase, improvements to treatment response by blocking the EGFR pathway, and a novel noninvasive diagnostic test for immunotherapy-related kidney injury.
New Report Details Steps to Reverse Decline in U.S. Life Expectancy
The Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health released a report today setting out 10 practical steps to address major causes of declining life expectancy in the U.S.
Exercise during Pregnancy Offsets Risks to Fetus from Maternal Obesity
Article title: Maternal exercise improves epithelial development of fetal intestine by enhancing apelin signaling and oxidative metabolism Authors: Song Ah Chae, Jun Seok Son, Jeanene Marie de Avila, Min Du, Mei-Jun Zhu From the authors: “These findings suggest that [maternal…
Positively Charged Nanomaterials Treat Obesity Anywhere You Want
Columbia researchers invent new method to treat obesity by using cationic nanomaterials that can target specific areas of fat and inhibit the unhealthy storage of enlarged fat cells. “Our studies highlight an unexpected strategy to treat visceral adiposity and suggest a new direction of exploring cationic nanomaterials for treating metabolic diseases,” said Columbia Engineering’s Biomedical Engineering Prof Kam Leong, a pioneer in using polycation to scavenge pathogens.
Believe it or ‘nut’, almonds can help you cut calories
Weight loss is never an easy nut to crack, but a handful of almonds could keep extra kilos at bay according to new research from the University of South Australia.
UT Southwestern scientists among top 1% of highly cited researchers across the globe
More than 20 UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists are among the 2022 Highly Cited Researchers listed in the top 1% of researchers from across the globe
Workplace cafeteria study finds no evidence that physical activity calorie-equivalent labelling changes food purchasing
An experiment carried out across ten workplace cafeterias found no significant change in the overall number of calories purchased when food and drink labels showed the amount of physical activity required to burn off their calories.
Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, Named Director of Mount Sinai Heart
Will also serve as the first-ever Dr. Valentin Fuster Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine
Defect in gene caused massive obesity in mice despite normal food intake
A faulty gene, rather than a faulty diet, may explain why some people gain excessive weight even when they don’t eat more than others, UT Southwestern researchers at the Center for the Genetics of Host Defense have discovered.
Dig in: Sand serves up a possible cure for obesity
Engineered particles of purified sand could be the next anti-obesity therapy as new research from the University of South Australia shows that porous silica can prevent fats and carbohydrates from being adsorbed in the body.
Breast Cancer Awareness Is for Men, Too
Although breast cancer is more common in women, during October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, experts from Cedars-Sinai Cancer are reminding men that they are at risk as well. One in every 100 breast cancers in the U.S. is diagnosed in a man, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
MD Anderson Research Highlights for October 19, 2022
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recent basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. Current advances include a combination approach to overcome PARP inhibitor resistance in breast and ovarian cancers, a deeper understanding of STAT3 mutations as drivers of disease progression, insights into the “obesity paradox” in men with advanced melanoma, a prognostic model for rapidly progressing vestibular schwannoma, and a role for cellular trafficking proteins in creating a metastasis-promoting lung cancer microenvironment.
Can Obesity and Stress Influence Appetite? New Johns Hopkins Study Shows It’s All In Your Head
In a series of experiments using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity across networks in the brain, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers looked at how stress might increase appetite in obese and lean adults.
Baltimore health fair offers free screenings, wellness activities for people with diabetes
Endocrine experts will deliver free health services in West Baltimore during EndoCares® Baltimore, an in-person health education event being held on November 5.
Air pollution tips the scale for obesity in women
Obesity has been a major global health issue in recent decades as more people eat unhealthy diets and fail to exercise regularly.
Australians with obesity unfairly blamed amid ‘lazy’ stigma
Simplistic stereotypes of Australians living with obesity blame the individual and fail to consider the complex causes, according to a blueprint that seeks to overhaul the way the nation deals with obesity.
Low-income charter school graduates had lower rates of problematic substance use as young adults, UCLA research suggests
An 8-year study of nearly 1300 low-income adolescents in Los Angeles found that students who attended high performing charter high schools were much less likely to engage in risky substance use by the time they reached age 21. Males who attended the high-performing schools also had better physical health and lower obesity rates as young adults while females had substantially worse outcomes in those two areas.
Obesity prevalence varies significantly for Asian American subgroups
A cross-sectional study of more than 70,000 Asian Americans has found that the prevalence of obesity in Asian American subgroups varies substantially. These findings have important implications for directing and adapting obesity prevention and intervention strategies for Asian American populations. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Rising food prices hit less-healthy older adults hardest, poll suggests
Three-quarters of people over age 50 in the United States say the rising cost of groceries has affected them somewhat or a lot, and nearly a third say they’re eating less healthily because of increased food costs, according to new poll findings. But some groups were hit much harder.
Pregnant women with obesity and diabetes may be more likely to have a child with ADHD
Children of women with gestational diabetes and obesity may be twice as likely to develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared to those whose mothers did not have obesity, according to new research published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
The Medical Minute: Tackling childhood obesity without the stigma
Obesity affects one in five children in the U.S., and it can take serious tolls on physical and mental health. A Penn State Health expert talks about how to help your child without feeding negative perceptions.
Insufficient insulin processing leads to overweight
Overweight increases the risk of an imbalance in sugar metabolism and even of diabetes.
Deep Brain Stimulation Shows Promise Against Binge Eating Disorder, Penn Research Finds
A small device that detects food craving-related brain activity in a key brain region, and responds by electrically stimulating that region, has shown promise in a pilot clinical trial in two patients with loss-of-control binge eating disorder (BED), according to researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.