Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Activating brown adipose tissue may help combat obesity, type 2 diabetes

Activating a specialized type of fat, known as brown adipose tissue, may help combat obesity as well as result in better glucose control for type 2 diabetes, according to new research conducted by scientists at the UC Metabolic Diseases Institute.

12 Oct 2011

PROLOR receives U.S. patent allowance for CTP-modified interferons

PROLOR Biotech, Inc. today announced that it received a notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) for a patent application covering PROLOR's CTP-modified interferons.

12 Oct 2011

NovaSom enters unique agreement with HealthAmerica to treat sleep disorders

NovaSom, Inc., the market leader in technology-driven, payer-aligned cost-saving solutions for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) management, today announced it has entered a preferred relationship to aid HealthAmerica with managing its sleep disorder diagnostic expenses.

11 Oct 2011

Aquaporin AQP10 retains transport ability even when carbohydrate structure is removed

Water channels exist not only in nature - microscopical water channels are also present in the cells of the body, where they ensure that water can be transported through the protective surface of the cell. Scientists at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have discovered that one type of the body's water channels can be modified such that it becomes more stable, which may be significant in the treatment of several diseases.

11 Oct 2011

First Edition: October 11, 2011

Today's headlines include reports about how Mitt Romney taking heat from the other GOP hopefuls, with some of the fire focusing on his Massachusetts health overhaul.

11 Oct 2011

Selected prescription drugs contribute to 10% of lower urinary tract symptoms among men

Use of selected prescription medications, including antidepressants, antihistamines, bronchodilators, anticholinergics, sympathomimetics, and diuretics contribute to 10 percent of lower urinary tract symptoms among men according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

11 Oct 2011

Villanova University establishes MacDonald Center for Obesity Prevention and Education

Obesity rates in the United States have reached epidemic proportions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese and 17 percent of children and teens (ages 2-19) are obese.

11 Oct 2011

Case Western Reserve wins NCI grant to study genetic determinants of esophageal cancer

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center are proud to announce the receipt of a highly competitive $5.4 million grant to study genetic determinants of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma.

11 Oct 2011

Study: Physical and socioeconomic attractiveness

A new study reveals what many may have suspected to be true. Overweight men might be attractive to good-looking women as long as they are financially stable.

10 Oct 2011

Is American obesity rate on the decline? Survey reports encouraging

Latest findings showed that for the first time “normal” beat out “overweight.” The survey however found that 61.6% of Americans were in the categories of either “overweight” or “obese”. The survey found 35.8 percent of Americans to be overweight, compared with 36.0 percent a year ago, and 25.8 percent obese, down from 26.6 percent last year.

10 Oct 2011

Merck receives FDA approval for JUVISYNC to treat type 2 diabetes

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved JUVISYNC(sitagliptin and simvastatin), a new treatment for type 2 diabetes that combines the glucose-lowering medication sitagliptin, the active component of JANUVIA (sitagliptin), with the cholesterol-lowering medication ZOCOR.

10 Oct 2011

Caffeine may predict risk of drug abuse

Parents of young caffeine consumers take heed: that high-calorie energy drink or soda might present more than just obesity risk. In fact, according to a double-blind, placebo-controlled study that examined responses to stimulants, an individual's subjective response to caffeine may predict how he or she will respond to other stimulant drugs, possibly reflecting differences in risk for abuse of other more serious drugs of abuse, such as amphetamine and cocaine.

10 Oct 2011

Loyola surgeon performs minimally invasive emergency procedure to repair AAA

Jack Kory of Mokena, Il. was eating his breakfast oatmeal when he suddenly felt the worst pain in his life. The searing pain came on suddenly in his stomach and spread to his knees. It was caused by an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) that had suddenly burst, causing massive internal bleeding. Traditionally, few patients have survived such ruptures. But Loyola University Medical Center vascular surgeon Dr. Richard Hershberger was able to repair Kory's aneurysm with a minimally invasive emergency procedure.

10 Oct 2011

UMass Amherst SPHHS wins HHS award to create Public Health Training Center

Training to improve the nation's public health system by strengthening the technical, scientific, managerial and leadership competence of current and future public health workers will soon be underway in Springfield, Holyoke, Pittsfield and the Berkshires, supported by a four-year, $2.5 million grant to the School of Public Health and Health Sciences (SPHHS) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

10 Oct 2011

Junk food ads entice kids but parents can still make them eat healthy: Study

A new study showed that food advertisements influence what children want to eat but healthy messages from parents may help to temper the influence.

9 Oct 2011

Healthy people analysis: Nation's overall health improves, but disparities persist

Minorities and low-income groups continue to be less likely to have a regular source of medical care, despite a decade of efforts to reverse this circumstance.

7 Oct 2011

New set of strategies could improve U.S. health care system for vulnerable populations

A new set of strategies released today by the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System could dramatically improve how the U.S. health care system serves vulnerable populations-those in the U.S. who are uninsured, low-income, or members of racial and ethnic minority groups.

7 Oct 2011

Where you live could play a larger role in health disparities than originally thought

Where you live could play a larger role in health disparities than originally thought, according to a new study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

7 Oct 2011

Scientists discover rare genetic alteration responsible for hypoglycaemia

Cambridge scientists have identified the cause of a rare, life-threatening form of hypoglycaemia. Their findings, which have the potential to lead to pharmaceutical treatments for the disorder, were published today, 07 October, in the journal Science.

7 Oct 2011

Overweight and blood pressure risk in kids: Study

According to a new study kids who are overweight are nearly three times more likely to have high blood pressure compared to their peers. The study, published in the journal Hypertension, followed 1,111 school-aged children in Indiana for an average of four years.

5 Oct 2011