Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Researchers assess molecular basis of SARS-CoV-2 severity and poor outcomes in lung disease

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 shows that in patients with chronic lung disease, the pattern of gene expression in the different types of cell changes such that the lung epithelium is prepared to tackle SARS-CoV-2 infection. Also, the altered gene programs have an impact on the immune response.

22 Oct 2020

Obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular illnesses linked to dramatic dietary changes

Are obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular illnesses and more the result of a "mismatch" between the meals we eat and the foods our bodies are prepared for?

21 Oct 2020

Study suggests link between gut bacteria and weight gain after chemotherapy for breast cancer

Approximately 30% of breast cancer patients who receive chemotherapy treatment gain weight, though it is unclear why this phenomenon occurs in some women but not in others.

21 Oct 2020

Cold-induced increase in vitamin A boosts fat burning

A recent study conducted by a research team led by Florian Kiefer from MedUni Vienna's Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism shows that cold ambient temperatures increase vitamin A levels in humans and mice.

21 Oct 2020

Androgen deprivation strategies could help mitigate SARS-CoV-2 infection

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have noted that women are generally less severely affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This has led to the exploration into estrogen and androgens' role in the hyperinflammatory clinical phenotypes of COVID-19. A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv shows that drugs targeting androgens and TMPRSS2 inhibitors may potentially combat the pandemic.

20 Oct 2020

OMA announces availability of updated Pediatric Obesity Algorithm

The Obesity Medicine Association today announced the immediate availability of the 2020-2022 Pediatric Obesity Algorithm, which includes new information for clinicians such as specific considerations for special populations, nutritional recommendations for patients with obesity and adiposity-related diseases, and advanced therapies for pediatric obesity.

19 Oct 2020

Researchers discover gene that may help the body sense a full urinary bladder

In a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study involving both mice and patients who are part of an NIH Clinical Center trial, researchers discovered that a gene, called PIEZO2, may be responsible for the powerful urge to urinate that we normally feel several times a day. The

19 Oct 2020

CBD could reduce lung damage caused by COVID-19

One way CBD appears to reduce the "cytokine storm" that damages the lungs and kills many patients with COVID-19 is by enabling an increase in levels of a natural peptide called apelin, which is known to reduce inflammation and whose levels are dramatically reduced in the face of this storm.

19 Oct 2020

Elevated birth weight is linked with atrial fibrillation later in life, shows study

Elevated birth weight is linked with developing atrial fibrillation later in life, according to research presented at the 31st Great Wall International Congress of Cardiology (GW-ICC).

19 Oct 2020

Obesity changes ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression in mice: Implications for COVID-19

Researchers studying young obese mice found that expression of ACE2, a receptor in host cells that binds to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is higher in the lungs and trachea of obese mice. The finding could partly explain why obesity is a high-risk factor for COVID-19.

18 Oct 2020

Researchers discover novel protocol to detect lipid production in microalgae

Dietary supplementation of fatty acids produced from microalgae have wide-reaching health benefits for humans, including the ability to reduce obesity, diabetes and fatty liver disease, preventing hair loss, and assisting wounds to heal.

16 Oct 2020

Glutathione precursor improves multiple deficits associated with premature aging

Premature aging in people with HIV is now recognized as a new, significant public health challenge. Accumulating evidence shows that people with HIV who are between 45 to 60 years old develop characteristics typically observed in people without HIV that are more than 70 years of age.

15 Oct 2020

Start-up receives NIH grant to accelerate development of contrast agent to detect liver fibrosis

Inlighta Biosciences, LLC, a start-up company led by Jenny Yang, Regents' Professor of Chemistry at Georgia State University, has been awarded a National Institute of Health grant to accelerate development of a magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent to detect liver fibrosis, formation of scar tissue in the liver caused by alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

15 Oct 2020

Bariatric surgery associated with longer life expectancy

People who have undergone obesity (bariatric) surgery live three years longer, on average, than those given conventional treatment for their obesity, a University of Gothenburg study shows. Compared with the general population, however, both groups' excess mortality is high.

15 Oct 2020

Experts review contribution of Task Force in prevention and control of non-communicable diseases

On 24 September 2020, the Friends of the Task Force met in the margins of the high-level segment of the 75thsession of the United Nations General Assembly. Participants included Member States, UN agencies and non-State actors.

15 Oct 2020

Obese persons have greater risk of developing severe COVID-19

The probability that an obese person will develop severe COVID-19 is high regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, and the presence of co-morbidities such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart or lung disease, according to a study by Brazilian researchers published in Obesity Research & Clinical Practice.

15 Oct 2020

Study explains large geographic health disparities in the U.S.

60% of American adults have a chronic condition, but adults in Mississippi are 50% more likely to have one than adults in Colorado.

15 Oct 2020

Certain live-attenuated vaccines can prevent severe complications of COVID-19

COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc globally, with over one million deaths to date. Yet what if an existing vaccine could make COVID-19 less deadly? A study just published put the theory to test, with promising results.

15 Oct 2020

People born with a heart defect have low risk of moderate or severe COVID-19 infection

Results of a retrospective analysis suggest that people born with a heart defect who developed COVID-19 symptoms had a low risk of moderate or severe COVID-19 infection, according to a new article published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access journal of the American Heart Association.

14 Oct 2020

Maltreatment at early age affects girls more than boys

New research by a University of Georgia scientist reveals that girls who are maltreated show higher levels of inflammation at an early age than boys who are maltreated or children who have not experienced abuse. This finding may forecast chronic mental and physical health problems in midlife.

14 Oct 2020