News by Subject Medicine & Health

Adolescents and young adults who were born to mothers with HIV but remained uninfected themselves still face a greatly heightened risk of obesity and asthma-like symptoms.

We commonly think a full stomach is what tells us to stop eating, but it may be that a stretched intestine plays an even bigger role in making us feel sated, according to new laboratory research led by UC San Francisco neuroscientist Zachary Knight, Ph.D.

It comes as no surprise that Americans struggle with weight loss, but a new study led by researchers at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine reveals the extent to which many people try, and fail, to shed extra pounds.

A study published today in JAMA Network Open concludes that 86 percent of diet trials amended their desired study outcomes along the way. That raises the possibility of bias, say researchers David Ludwig, MD, PhD and Cara Ebbeling, PhD, of Boston Children's Hospital, and Steven Heymsfield, MD, of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center (Baton Rouge, Louisiana).

Toxic man-made chemicals -- such as polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides -- that are absorbed into the body and stored in fat may be released into the bloodstream during the rapid fat loss that follows bariatric surgery, according to a study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The finding points to the need for further research to understand the health effects of this potential toxicant exposure.

Vitamin B12 deficiency impairs fat metabolism and may be associated with obesity during pregnancy, according to findings presented at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference. Pregnant women with low levels of vitamin B12 had metabolic markers indicative of increased fat production and reduced breakdown, which suggests that low vitamin B12 levels could predispose pregnant women to obesity.

A commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory may increase the risk of diabetes after just one week of treatment, according to new findings presented at The Society for Endocrinology Annual Conference. Healthy men given doses of the drug comparable to those used to treat inflammatory disorders had changes in markers of blood sugar metabolism associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes.

In two new policy papers, the American College of Physicians (ACP) calls for changes aimed at mitigating the rising cost of prescription drugs. The papers provide recommendations to improve transparency in industry and government, examine the role of the Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM), and address issues in public health plans that create barriers to care. Both papers are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

While weight-loss surgeries are not usually performed in people above the age of 65, a new study shows that these procedures can lead to successful weight loss and better diabetes control in older adults. The study, presented at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Brighton, UK, indicates that elderly patients treated with bariatric surgery (gastric bypass or gastric sleeve) can recover well and have a reduced risk of obesity-related complications, including heart disease and diabetes.

Impaired liver function during pregnancy may alter gut bacteria composition and increase the risk of obesity in children, according to results presented at The Society for Endocrinology Annual Conference. In a rodent of model of the most common liver disease in pregnancy, the composition of gut bacteria in offspring was altered and liver function impaired, particularly when they were fed a Western-style, high-fat diet.