Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

First Edition: August 4, 2010

Today's health policy headlines include reports about yesterday's Missouri vote on a ballot measure to challenge the health reform law and the latest on today's likely Senate consideration of Medicaid assistance for states.

4 Aug 2010

Contrave added to diet and exercise regimen can induce significant weight loss

Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. announced the online publication of results from its COR-BMOD trial of Contrave (naltrexone SR/bupropion SR) in the journal Obesity. The COR-BMOD trial evaluated intensive behavior modification plus Contrave32 (32mg naltrexone sustained release (SR)/360mg bupropion SR) compared to BMOD plus placebo, in 793 overweight or obese patients.

4 Aug 2010

Study shows link between fructose and pancreatic cancer proliferation

Pancreatic cancers use the sugar fructose, very common in the Western diet, to activate a key cellular pathway that drives cell division, helping the cancer to grow more quickly, a study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has found.

4 Aug 2010

Periodontal disease may increase risk of cognitive dysfunction: Researchers

NYU dental researchers have found the first long-term evidence that periodontal (gum) disease may increase the risk of cognitive dysfunction associated with Alzheimer's disease in healthy individuals as well as in those who already are cognitively impaired.

4 Aug 2010

Research findings show normal rise and fall in triglycerides

When the circadian rhythm gets thrown off, it could come with an unexpected side effect: high triglycerides. The discovery, based on studies in mice with a "broken clock," helps to explain the normal rise and fall in triglycerides, which happens at about the same time each day, according to researchers who report their findings in the August issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication.

4 Aug 2010

Smokers are 11 times more likely to develop subareolar abscess

Women who smoke or pierce their nipples are more likely to develop a breast abscess, according to a new study in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. Researchers at the University of Iowa found the odds of developing primary breast abscess were six times higher in smokers than in nonsmokers, and smokers were 11 times more likely to develop subareolar abscess. Breast abscesses were 15 times more likely to recur in smokers than in nonsmokers. In addition, this study is one of the first to provide clinical evidence that nipple piercing is also a risk factor for subareolar breast abscess, with the onset of abscess occurring from one month to seven years from the time of piercing.

4 Aug 2010

Arena reports lower net loss of $28.80M for second-quarter 2010

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010, and recent developments, including the successful Pre-Approval Inspection, or PAI, of the company's Swiss drug product manufacturing facility by the US Food and Drug Administration, or FDA.

4 Aug 2010

Insulin resistance from obesity leads to lower cognitive performance in children: Research

A study by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have found that obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes have diminished cognitive performance and subtle abnormalities in the brain as detected by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Identification of cognitive impairments as a complication of type 2 diabetes emphasizes the importance of addressing issues of inactivity and obesity, two important risk factors for the development of the disease among the young.

3 Aug 2010

Obesity-related Quality-Adjusted Life Years lost by U.S. adults doubles from 1993 to 2008

Although the prevalence of obesity and obesity-attributable deaths has steadily increased, the resultant burden of disease associated with obesity has not been well understood. A new study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine indicates that Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) lost to U.S. adults due to morbidity and mortality from obesity have more than doubled from 1993-2008 and the prevalence of obesity has increased 89.9% during the same period.

3 Aug 2010

TFAH commends U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee's $1.27B approval for prevention and public health

The Trust for America's Health (TFAH) commended the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee for approving an historic $1.27 billion for prevention and public health for fiscal year 2011. This proposed funding would include $750 million, the second installment of the new Prevention and Public Health Fund that was created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

3 Aug 2010

Pairing adolescents with college student mentors keeps kids healthy, fit

A program pairing healthy young adults with urban middle school students helped the adolescents adopt healthy habits, active lifestyles and a healthy weight, according to a new study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The study, published August 2 in the journal Pediatrics, found that linking African American, inner city adolescents in Baltimore with one-on-one mentorship from college students prevented the schoolchildren from becoming overweight for at least two years after the mentorship experience. Researchers found the adolescents ate fewer snacks and desserts, and engaged in active play more often. The rate of overweight/obesity in the group declined five percent.

3 Aug 2010

Study finds low carbohydrate diet may help improve cardiovascular risk factors

The effectiveness of a low-carbohydrate diet versus a low-fat diet for weight loss have been frequently debated. According to a new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine, both diets produce identical weight loss when coupled with comprehensive behavior treatment, but a low-carbohydrate diet may help improve cardiovascular risk factors.

3 Aug 2010

Free health clinic planned for D.C. area; University of Kansas to study Indian health; Ga. weighs health needs of older prisoners

In the run-up to this week's giant free clinic in the District, Nicole Lamoureux, the lead organizer, could tell that hearts were racing, blood pressure was increasing and tension was rising. Calls from patients scheduling appointments were starting to pour into her office, but there weren't enough volunteer medical workers to see them.

3 Aug 2010

VIVUS second-quarter total revenue decreases to $3.9 million

VIVUS, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of novel therapeutic products, today reported its financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2010.

3 Aug 2010

New fat cell with potentially harmful characteristics: Study

The new fat cells arise from stem cells in the bone marrow that travel through the blood stream to fat tissue. They are termed bone marrow progenitor-derived adipocytes. The discovery also revealed that male and female subjects accumulate the new fat cells differently. The research also may help to explain the link between types of obesity and heart disease and other illnesses.

3 Aug 2010

Allergan second-quarter diluted EPS increases to $0.78

Allergan, Inc. today announced operating results for the quarter ended June 30, 2010. Allergan also announced that its Board of Directors has declared a second quarter dividend of $0.05 per share, payable on September 7, 2010 to stockholders of record on August 17, 2010.

3 Aug 2010

Disparities in cardiovascular disease risk linked to socioeconomic differences between races: Study

A new UCLA study suggests that disparities in cardiovascular disease risk in the United States are due less to race or ethnicity than to socioeconomic status.

2 Aug 2010

Nutritional labeling, point-of-purchase signs influence healthy food choices: Study

Poor diet and physical inactivity leading to obesity are poised to overtake tobacco use as the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. With over 30% of U.S. adults obese, the significant adverse health effects of obesity (including heart disease and diabetes) are widespread throughout the country. Two studies published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association shed light on behaviors regarding food choices and good nutrition and report on how nutritional labeling and point-of-purchase signs are influencing healthy food choices.

2 Aug 2010

Merck reports strong bottom-line performance in second quarter

Merck & Co., Inc. today announced financial results for the second quarter of 2010. The company reported non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings per share (EPS) for the second quarter of $0.86, which excludes purchase accounting adjustments, merger-related expenses, restructuring costs and the gain on AstraZeneca's asset option exercise. Second-quarter GAAP EPS was $0.24.

2 Aug 2010

Scottsdale Healthcare surgeon elects as new president for ASMBS

Scottsdale Healthcare surgeon Robin Blackstone, MD is the new president-elect of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), recognizing her leadership and expertise in the field of weight-loss surgery.

2 Aug 2010