Obesity News and Research

Latest Obesity News and Research

Will we ever eat pigs genetically engineered to give us healthy fats?

Researchers in the U.S. have created pigs that produce omega-3 fatty acids, which are believed to improve heart function and help reduce the risks for heart disease.

26 Mar 2006

Long term reduction in LDL cholesterol dramatically reduces risk of heart disease

A new genetic analysis of more than 12,000 individuals has found that a decrease in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, of as little as 15 percent, sustained over the long term can dramatically reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

23 Mar 2006

Low-dose aspirin lowers potential for clot-forming blood cells - in both men and women

In what is believed to be the first direct comparison of blood cell testing in both sexes of 81 milligrams of acetyl salicylic acid a day, Hopkins researchers found aspirin therapy prevents the clumping together of these clot-forming cells, called platelets.

23 Mar 2006

Hip surgery in the elderly and obese, orthopaedic research emphasizes need for complete preoperative assessments

As many Americans continue to grow older, another large part of the population is faced with the growing problem of obesity: both of these conditions can adversely impact mobility and ultimately, patients' independence.

23 Mar 2006

Study confirms that the children with dental decay are not underweight in comparison to their peers

New evidence from pediatric dentists at the University at Buffalo has shown that, contrary to previous findings, most young children with decayed "baby" teeth are not underweight, and actually may be overweight or at risk of being overweight.

22 Mar 2006

Breast symmetry can be early indicator of breast cancer

Healthy Women who go on to develop breast cancer tend to have less symmetrical breasts than those women who do not develop the disease, researchers at the University of Liverpool have found.

21 Mar 2006

Angina is more dangerous for women than was previously thought

The collaborative study, led by UCL (University College London) and funded by the British Heart Foundation, found that angina in women is as common as it is in men, in contrast to heart attacks (myocardial infarction) which have a higher rate in men.

21 Mar 2006

Older patients and those who undergo duodenal switch have an increased complications following bariatric surgery

Older patients and those who undergo a certain type of procedure known as duodenal switch have an increased number of complications following bariatric surgery, according to a study in the March issue of Archives of Surgery.

21 Mar 2006

Bariatric surgery may reduce risk of heart disease

"We believed the surgical patients would have a modest reduced risk, but instead we discovered there are significant and long-lasting heart benefits for this group," Dr. Batsis says.

21 Mar 2006

Some patients may no longer need hypertensive medications after bariatric surgery

Severely obese patients may experience significant, long-term improvements in blood pressure as they lose substantial amounts of weight after gastric bypass surgery, thereby contributing to their overall health, according to a new University of Pittsburgh study, published in the March issue of the Archives of Surgery.

21 Mar 2006

Rutgers researchers discover obesity gene

Rutgers researchers have identified a gene - and the molecular function of its protein product - that provides an important clue to further understanding obesity and may point the way to new drugs to control fat metabolism.

20 Mar 2006

Forget the bathroom scales and get out the tape measure!

A new study has found that waist measurements are a better indicator of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than body mass index (BMI).

16 Mar 2006

Coronary artery heart disease in Ireland halved since the mid 80s

Deaths from coronary artery heart disease in Ireland have halved since the mid 1980s, finds research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

15 Mar 2006

Bariatric procedure offers long-term reduction in heart risk factors

As rates of obesity in America continue to soar, surgery has become an increasingly popular solution when diet and exercise regimens fail.

14 Mar 2006

Diabetics overestimate healthy body weight

Heavier patients with diabetes are more likely to overestimate their "healthiest" body weight compared to those of normal weight, according to a study published in the current issue of Diabetes Care.

14 Mar 2006

Newly discovered genetic mechanism in poultry can provide more insights to complex diseases

Scientists from Uppsala University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and the U.S. have identified a genetic mechanism that regulates growth in chickens.

13 Mar 2006

Scientists exploit novel route to reverse enlarged hearts in obese mice

Working on genetically engineered obese mice with seriously thickened hearts, a condition call cardiac hypertrophy, scientists at Johns Hopkins have used a nerve protection and growth factor on the heart to mimic the activity of the brain hormone leptin, dramatically reducing the size of the heart muscle.

13 Mar 2006

A map of recent positive selection in the human genome

By scanning the entire human genome in search of genetic variations that may signal recent evolution, University of Chicago researchers found more than 700 genetic variants that may be targets of recent natural positive selection during the past 10,000 years of human evolution.

13 Mar 2006

Child's fatness at age five is not related to being breastfed

Does breastfeeding or the age at which other foods are introduced to infants affect the risk of obesity in early childhood? Research on this question has produced mixed results

9 Mar 2006

Novel compound may help fight obesity

A new study reveals an attractive new target for therapies aimed at the treatment of obesity and related metabolic disorders, researchers report in the March Cell Metabolism.

9 Mar 2006