Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Heightened COVID-19 risk among pregnant women

Since the emergence of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, little is known about the risks of COVID-19 to pregnant women. Now, a new study reveals that pregnant women with COVID-19 are less likely to experience symptoms of fever and myalgia than non-pregnant women of reproductive age, but maybe at a heightened risk of being admitted to intensive care.

3 Sep 2020

Study shows fatty liver disease is a significant risk factor for COVID-19 hospitalization

A recent observational study by US researchers reveals that individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and steatohepatitis have increased odds of hospitalization due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19); conversely, metabolic surgery was found to be protective against the admission of infected individuals. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

3 Sep 2020

Examining the role of endocrine system and hormones in COVID-19 infection

The evidence for hormone involvement in COVID-19 infection and treatment will be evaluated and discussed by endocrine experts in a dedicated COVID-19 session at e-ECE 2020.

3 Sep 2020

Obesity may cause irregular immune responses to COVID-19

Obesity may cause a hyperactive immune system response to COVID-19 infection that makes it difficult to fight off the virus, according to a new manuscript published in the Endocrine Society's journal, Endocrinology.

3 Sep 2020

Why Black aging matters, too

Old. Chronically ill. Black. People who fit this description are more likely to die from COVID-19 than any other group in the country.

3 Sep 2020

Simple test can help healthcare professionals identify patients at risk of type 2 diabetes

A simple test such as the strength of your handgrip could be used as a quick, low-cost screening tool to help healthcare professionals identify patients at risk of type 2 diabetes.

2 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2-RNA viremia is a robust marker of critical illness in COVID-19

A new study by a large team of Spanish researchers and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 reports that the presence of viral RNA in the blood is a useful marker of impending acute disease and can help triage COVID-19 disease patients who will require hospital care.

1 Sep 2020

Addressing food insecurity in school children during COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has brought a number of challenges to schools, which were forced to close in the spring to help slow the spread of infection.

1 Sep 2020

Negligible ACE2 expression in human beta-cells

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv reports that even though the fatality rate is significantly higher in diabetics, there is no evidence that this is due to direct viral infection of pancreatic beta cells, which produce the key hormone in glucose homeostasis, namely insulin.

1 Sep 2020

Growth hormone associated with early puberty and future breast cancer risk

When girls reach puberty at an unusually early age, they face a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer later in life. Now, experts at Cincinnati Children's and the University of Cincinnati offer a new, unified explanation for why that increased risk occurs.

1 Sep 2020

$Sacubitril/valsartan therapy may reduce hospitalization in heart patients with preserved ejection fraction$

Sacubitril/valsartan therapy may reduce hospitalization in heart patients with preserved ejection fraction

Sacubitril/valsartan reduces NT-proBNP, a biomarker predictive of long-term clinical outcomes in heart failure, but does not improve functional capacity compared to individualized background therapy in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

1 Sep 2020

Anonymized cell phone location data can help track new cases of COVID-19

In March 2020, federal officials declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency. Around the same time, most states implemented stay-at-home advisories - to different degrees and at different times.

1 Sep 2020

Eating ultraprocessed food shortens your telomeres

Now, a new study titled, "Ultra-processed food consumption and the risk of short telomeres in an elderly population of the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) Project," is being presented at this year's European and International Conference on Obesity (ECOICO 2020), held online this year (1-4 September).

31 Aug 2020

Does when we eat influence what we eat?

The study titled, “Does when we eat influence what we eat? A secondary analysis of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey” is to be presented as a poster at the European and International Conference on Obesity (ECOICO 2020), held online this year (1-4 September 2020).

31 Aug 2020

Majority of U.S. COVID-19 fatalities had underlying medical conditions

Early on in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, there was little data on the virus and how it affects the body. As the virus spread across the globe, data showed that some people were at a higher risk of developing severe disease and dying from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

31 Aug 2020

Food system transformation may require an unprecedented level of global cooperation

"Food systems have the potential to nurture human health and support environmental sustainability; however, they are currently threatening both." This sentence, the opening statement of the EAT-Lancet Report published last year, reflects a growing consensus among global experts on food, nutrition and the environment: Our food system is broken and we need to fix it, fast.

31 Aug 2020

Study examines whether asthma is a significant risk factor for severe COVID-19

A new research letter published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society examines whether asthma is a significant risk factor for developing COVID-19 that is severe enough to warrant hospitalization and intubation.

31 Aug 2020

Weight loss can prevent or even reverse diabetes, shows study

Losing weight could prevent or even reverse diabetes, according to late breaking research presented today at ESC Congress 2020.

31 Aug 2020

New guidelines cover leisure exercise and competitive sports for people with heart disease

The first recommendations on sports and physical activity in all types of heart disease are launched today by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The document is published online in European Heart Journal,1 and on the ESC website.2

31 Aug 2020

Cat antiviral that inhibits SARS-CoV-2 fast-tracked for human clinical trials

Now, a team of researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada has identified viral inhibitors that they claim are potential candidates as a treatment for COVID-19. The team is set to launch clinical trials of the drug that is used as a treatment for a type of coronavirus in cats.

31 Aug 2020