Weight Loss News and Research

Latest Weight Loss News and Research

Consumer group calls for ban on weight loss drugs Alli and Xenical

According to the consumer watchdog Public Citizen, the weight loss drugs Alli and Xenical should be removed from the market because of the growing risk of side effects that include liver damage, pancreatitis and kidney stones.

15 Apr 2011

Ortho-McNeil Neurologics announces voluntary recall of TOPAMAX 100mg Tablets

Ortho-McNeil Neurologics Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced it is voluntarily recalling two lots of TOPAMAX® (topiramate) 100mg Tablets. These two lots were shipped between 10/19/2010 and 12/28/2010 and distributed in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

15 Apr 2011

Experts to discuss latest findings in IBD research at Rome meeting

Experts from 11 countries will gather this week in Rome to discuss innovative strategies for studying and treating Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

12 Apr 2011

Diet tips for preventing cancer

Not all diet plans help reduce a person's chances of developing cancer, say experts at The University of MD Anderson Cancer Center. Nutrition experts from MD Anderson separate the good from the bad among popular diets.

12 Apr 2011

The Lancet publishes VIVUS 56-week QNEXA study results in obesity

VIVUS, Inc. today announced that detailed results from the 56-week CONQUER study were published in The Lancet evaluating the efficacy and safety of investigational drug QNEXA in 2,487 patients across 93 sites in the US.

11 Apr 2011

Investigational drug effective for patients with obesity

An investigational combination of drugs already approved to treat obesity, migraine and epilepsy produced up to a 10 percent weight loss in obese individuals participating in a one-year clinical trial, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

11 Apr 2011

New weight loss pill - combination of two existing drugs

According to the latest research on obesity treatments there is now a new weapon in the battle for weight loss. It combines two existing drugs that have resulted in twice as much weight loss as the only approved long-term anti-obesity medication.

10 Apr 2011

First trial to test shared decision making for weight-loss surgery

A video-based decision aid helped severely obese people to make more informed choices about bariatric surgery and reach more certainty about them, according to a trial involving 152 Group Health patients, e-published in Obesity in advance of print. This randomized controlled trial is the first to test shared decision making for weight-loss surgery.

8 Apr 2011

Living human taste cells maintained in culture for seven months

Following years of futile attempts, new research from the Monell Center demonstrates that living human taste cells can be maintained in culture for at least seven months. The findings provide scientists with a valuable tool to learn about the human sense of taste and how it functions in health and disease.

7 Apr 2011

Supplements are less well regulated than drugs and may have side effects, drug interactions and toxicities

Vitamins, herbs and other dietary supplements are sold as natural alternatives to pharmaceuticals and many people turn to them in an attempt to improve their health. Others seek supplements to lose weight or after hearing that they can help with serious medical conditions.

7 Apr 2011

American Heart Association's Walking Paths app helps motivate people for healthy life

Finding a safe, free and centrally located walking path is now as easy as picking up the phone, thanks to a new smartphone application from the American Heart Association.

6 Apr 2011

Combination of molecularly targeted cancer drug and anti-malarial drug stops tumor growth

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine may have found a way to turn an adaptive cellular response into a liability for cancer cells. When normal cells are starved for food, they chew up existing proteins and membranes to stay alive. Cancer cells have corrupted that process, called autophagy, using it to survive when they run out of nutrients and to evade death after damage from chemotherapy and other sources.

6 Apr 2011

Majority of customers highly satisfied with neighborhood independent drugstores

New drugstore Ratings published in the May issue of Consumer Reports and available online at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org reveal that the overwhelming majority (94%) of readers are highly satisfied with their experiences at neighborhood independent drugstores. While customers said they were generally satisfied with their pharmacies, some were irked by long waits and lagging service at some big box stores.

5 Apr 2011

Adherence to HHS Physical Activity Guidelines can reduce mortality risk

Following federal government recommendations on exercise might lead to a longer life for all adults, according to a new study of nearly 250,000 Americans.

5 Apr 2011

Modified pulse oximeter detects risk of cardiovascular disease during sleep

A specially customised pulse oximeter attached to the finger can be used to detect changes in heart and vessel function while you sleep, and this simple technique can even identify patients at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, reveals research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

5 Apr 2011

Curis presents vismodegib Phase II data in basal cell nevus syndrome at AACR meeting

Curis, Inc., a drug development company seeking to develop next generation targeted small molecule drug candidates for cancer treatment, today announced the presentation of interim Phase II clinical data on Hedgehog pathway inhibitor vismodegib in patients with basal cell nevus syndrome, which is also commonly referred to as Gorlin syndrome.

5 Apr 2011

Food addicts appear to have high neural activity in brain

Persons with an addictive-like eating behavior appear to have greater neural activity in certain regions of the brain similar to substance dependence, including elevated activation in reward circuitry in response to food cues, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the August print issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

5 Apr 2011

Diets may cause loss of lean muscle mass

According to boomer-generation brother and sister authors Dian Griesel, Ph.D. and Tom Griesel, every well-known diet to date is destined to deliver loss of lean muscle mass, moodiness, disappointment and failure.

5 Apr 2011

Positive results from GDC-0449 Phase II data against basal cell nevus syndrome

A new hedgehog pathway inhibitor demonstrated efficacy in preventing and treating basal cell cancer among patients with basal cell nevus syndrome, a rare inheritable disease, according to Phase II data presented at the AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011, held April 2-6.

4 Apr 2011

NIH combats obesity epidemic with new strategic research plan

To combat the obesity epidemic, the National Institutes of Health is encouraging diverse scientific investigations through a new Strategic Plan for NIH Obesity Research.

1 Apr 2011