Metabolism News and Research

Latest Metabolism News and Research

Vitamin D2 is as effective as vitamin D3 in maintaining concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that vitamin D2 is equally as effective as vitamin D3 in maintaining 25-hydroxyvitamin D status.

3 Jan 2008

Deep sleep maintains normal glucose control

Suppression of slow-wave sleep in healthy young adults significantly decreases their ability to regulate blood-sugar levels and increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, report researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center in the "Early Edition" of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, available online as soon as Dec. 31, 2007.

2 Jan 2008

Diabetes linked to poor sleep quality

According to new research from the U.S. having a good night's sleep has important health ramifications.

2 Jan 2008

Vitamin B-12 function may be diminished by excessive folate

In a study of adults aged 20 and over, researchers at Tufts University showed that homocysteine and methylmalonic acid are at much higher levels in individuals who have a combination of vitamin B12 deficiency and high blood folate levels than in individuals who are also vitamin B12 deficient but have normal folate levels.

20 Dec 2007

Genetic link to spina bifida discovered

Researchers at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston have discovered an association between genes regulating glucose metabolism and spina bifida.

20 Dec 2007

Hardening of the arteries - mutant gene identified as culprit

A genetic mutation expands lesions in the aorta and promotes coronary atherosclerosis, more commonly known as hardening of the arteries, according to a study by Yale School of Medicine in Cell Metabolism.

20 Dec 2007

Agent orange chemical, dioxin, attacks the mitochondria to cause cancer

Researchers with the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have demonstrated the process by which the cancer-causing chemical dioxin attacks the cellular machinery, disrupts normal cellular function and ultimately promotes tumor progression.

18 Dec 2007

Data suggests chromium picolinate may improve cognitive function

Nutrition 21, Inc. has announced the results of a clinical study that showed daily supplementation with 1000 mcg of chromium as chromium picolinate improved cognitive function in older adults experiencing early memory decline.

14 Dec 2007

Smoking and type 2 diabetes

A review of previous studies indicates that people who currently smoke have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared with non-smokers, according to an article in the December 12 issue of JAMA.

13 Dec 2007

Researchers find genetic switch for internal body clock

University of California, Irvine researchers have identified the chemical switch that triggers the genetic mechanism regulating our internal body clock.

13 Dec 2007

Lipids in the brain an important factor for Alzheimer's disease

As the most common form of dementia in the Western world, Alzheimer's disease carries enormous implications for our ageing society.

10 Dec 2007

Anemia drugs linked with leukemic transformation in patients with primary myelofibrosis

Mayo Clinic researchers have reported the discovery of a link between erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and leukemic transformation (conversion to leukemia) of the blood disorder myelofibrosis.

10 Dec 2007

Sugary drinks may increase Alzheimer's risk

Excess drinking of sugary beverages like soda may increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, suggests new research in mice.

10 Dec 2007

Adrenalectomy shown to benefit those with mild Cushing syndrome

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that patients with a mild form of Cushing syndrome, a metabolic disorder caused by adrenal tumors, demonstrate substantial clinical improvement after adrenalectomy.

10 Dec 2007

Research findings link weight gain and diabetes to a variety of cancers

During this holiday season with its tempting bounty of edible delights, new research calls attention to the role of the expanding American waistline in health and medicine.

10 Dec 2007

FDA to review potential anti-arrhythmic claims for Ranexa

CV Therapeutics, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified the Company that it will evaluate the approval of potential anti-arrhythmic claims for Ranexa (ranolazine extended-release tablets) as part of its ongoing review of the Company's supplemental new drug application (sNDA).

10 Dec 2007

Rhodiola rosea found to increase lifespan in fruit flies

The herbal extract of a yellow-flowered mountain plant indigenous to the Arctic regions of Europe and Asia increased the lifespan of fruit fly populations, according to a University of California, Irvine study.

5 Dec 2007

Diet low in carbohydrates reduces inflammation and blood saturated fat in metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a condition afflicting one quarter to one third of adult men and women and is an established pre-cursor to diabetes, coronary heart disease, and other serious illnesses.

4 Dec 2007

Hydrogen sulfide provides clues to a longer life

Hydrogen sulfide, or H2S, the chemical that gives rotten eggs their sulfurous stench - and the same compound that researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center successfully have used to put mice into a state of reversible metabolic hibernation - has now been shown to significantly increase life span and heat tolerance in the nematode worm, or C. elegans.

4 Dec 2007

Not enough sleep raises the risk for diabetes

The most common factors believed to contribute to diabetes are a decreased amount of physical activity and access to highly palatable processed foods.

3 Dec 2007