Weight Loss News and Research

Latest Weight Loss News and Research

Corthera's Relaxin in acute heart failure shows promising results

Corthera Inc. has announced that results from Pre-RELAX-AHF, the Phase II portion of a Phase II/III multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled international study, demonstrated promising efficacy and safety for relaxin, the company's investigational drug for treatment of acute heart failure (AHF).

30 Mar 2009

Dapagliflozin trial results indicate improvement in key glycemic measures in treatment-naive type 2 diabetes

Findings published in Diabetes Care from a 12-week, Phase IIb dose-ranging study showed that dapagliflozin, a novel, selective, sodium glucose co-transporter2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, produced clinically meaningful reductions across all key glycemic measures studied [glycosylated hemoglobin level (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and postprandial plasma glucose (PPG)] in treatment-naive type 2 diabetes patients, compared to placebo.

29 Mar 2009

Protein from tick saliva shows potential for myasthenia gravis treatment

Looking for a better treatment for the autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis, researchers have found that a protein in tick saliva shows promise in limiting the severity of the disease in an animal model in a study published in the Annals of Neurology.

29 Mar 2009

Experimental Parkinson's therapy may have robust weight-loss effect

A growth factor used in clinical experiments to rescue dying brain cells in Parkinson patients may cause unwanted weight loss if delivered to specific areas of the brain, according to University of Florida researchers in the March online edition of Molecular Therapy.

24 Mar 2009

Focus on treating malnutrition in cancer patients, researchers say

Cancer patients who are malnourished experience significantly greater levels of psychological distress than those who are more adequately nourished, according to new results reported at the European Society for Medical Oncology's Symposium on Cancer and Nutrition (Zurich, 20-21 March 2009).

22 Mar 2009

Nationwide alert on tainted weight loss products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expanding, for the second time, its nationwide alert to consumers about tainted weight loss products containing

22 Mar 2009

Discovery of gene that plays key role in process of converting dietary carbohydrates to fat

In a new study, they disabled this gene in mice, which consequently had lower levels of body fat than their normal counterparts, despite being fed the equivalent of an 'all-you-can-eat' pasta buffet.

20 Mar 2009

Call for more thyroid function tests for older patients to improve diagnosis rate

A new study of over 3500 patients with overactive thyroids shows that elderly patients experience fewer signs and symptoms of the condition.

17 Mar 2009

Study examines why overweight women are less likely to undergo breast cancer screening

Obese women may be putting themselves at greater risk of breast cancer by not undergoing regular screening.

16 Mar 2009

Boosting calcium consumption spurs weight loss

Boosting calcium consumption spurs weight loss, according to a study published in the most recent issue of the British Journal of Nutrition , but only in people whose diets are calcium deficient.

12 Mar 2009

BDNF gene shows promise as target for treating obesity

With obesity reaching epidemic levels, researchers at the Ohio State University Medical Center are studying a potentially long-term treatment that involves injecting a gene directly into one of the critical feeding and weight control centers of the brain.

10 Mar 2009

Seven steps to success for overweight children

Overweight children and adolescents, with the active involvement of their parents and families, can successfully lose weight by following the Seven Steps to Success described in the current issue of Obesity Management , a journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

5 Mar 2009

Diet moderately high in protein may be best for fat loss

Any diet will do? Not if you want to lose fat instead of muscle. Not if you want to lower your triglyceride levels so you'll be less likely to develop diabetes and heart disease. Not if you want to avoid cravings that tempt you to cheat on your diet. And not if you want to keep the weight off long-term.

4 Mar 2009

Bariatric surgery resolves obesity-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus

As the incidence of obesity-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus continues to increase worldwide, medical research indicates that surgery to reduce obesity can completely eliminate all manifestations of diabetes.

3 Mar 2009

Molecular switch linked to obesity, insulin resistance, type II diabetes

A molecular switch found in the fat tissue of obese mice is a critical factor in the development of insulin resistance, report scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

3 Mar 2009

Heart-healthy diets that reduce calorie intake promote long-term weight loss

Heart-healthy diets that reduce calorie intake - regardless of differing proportions of fat, protein, or carbohydrate - can help overweight and obese adults achieve and maintain weight loss, according to a study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, and published Feb. 26, 2009, in the New England Journal of Medicine.

26 Feb 2009

Experimental animal vaccine may protect humans from Ebola

Protection against Ebola, one of the world's deadliest viruses, can be achieved by a vaccine produced in insect cells, raising prospects for developing an effective vaccine for humans, say scientists at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR) in San Antonio.

26 Feb 2009

Comparison of popular diets

Many popular diets emphasize either carbohydrate, protein or fat as the best way to lose weight.

25 Feb 2009

First incisionless bariatric procedure performed in U.S.

Bariatric surgeons at Central Baptist Hospital made U.S. medical history Feb. 16 by performing a groundbreaking bariatric procedure to decrease the capacity of a patient's stomach without making a single incision into her body.

22 Feb 2009

Weight loss improves nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

In a recent study, Saint Louis University researchers found that weight loss of at least 9 percent helped patients reverse a type of liver disease known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a finding that will allow doctors to give patients specific weight-loss goals that are likely to improve their livers.

17 Feb 2009