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Higher doses of Ozempic improve blood sugar, weight loss?

Higher doses of Ozempic improve blood sugar, weight loss?

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According to experts, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) medications like Ozempic, often referred to as semaglutide, can aid in weight loss in those who are obese.

For weight loss, Ozempic is not FDA-approved. There is also the brand Wegovy, which is semaglutide.

Wegovy and Ozempic should not be used by persons who are not diabetic or obese for any reason, including to shed minor amounts of weight, according to experts.

In the latter part of 2017, the FDA approved the use of the GLP-1 medication Ozempic in people with type 2 diabetes. But lately, it’s made news for other reasons as well: Benefits of purported weight loss and scarcity.

“People are talking about them because there is a trend where celebrities and influencers are increasingly turning to off-label use of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic for weight loss by people who are not obese or diabetic,” claims Dr. Rekha Kumar, an endocrinologist in New York City and the head of medical affairs at the weight management program Found.

This, according to Kumar, is very troubling.

“The trend of medispas, boutique weight-loss clinics, and illegal telehealth businesses liberally prescribing to people who don’t meet criteria is not only irresponsible prescribing, but it may also prevent the medication from reaching those who need it most,” Kumar claims.

By responding to the following frequently asked questions regarding Ozempic, Kumar and other professionals distinguished fact from fantasy.

What is Ozempic?

Dr. Angela Fitch, FACP, FOMA, president of the Obesity Medicine Association and chief medical officer of knownwell, a weight-inclusive healthcare firm, says that Ozempic is a brand name for the medication recognised as semaglutide.

Ozempic is an injectable medicine for persons with type 2 diabetes, according to Kumar. The FDA first approved it for 0.5 mg or 1 mg dosages. The FDA authorized a higher dose of 2 mg in 2022.

According to Kumar, it helps the pancreas produce insulin, which decreases blood sugar levels.

Adverse effects of semaglutide

All GLP-1 medications, as pharmacological agents, have the potential to have side effects, according to Dr. Jay Shubrook, professor of the Primary Care Department at Touro University in California.

According to Dr. Shubrook, these “are frequently dose-dependent and can be more obvious during dose changes.”

In any case, typical adverse effects of semaglutide “include an excessive loss of appetite, nausea, and less frequently, vomiting or diarrhoea. Most patients only experience temporary adverse effects, he noted.

He pointed out that teaching patients to eat slowly and mindfully, as well as how to control their portions, can lessen the negative effects of semaglutide.

Is Ozempic an FDA-approved weight-loss product?

No. “Ozempic is only approved for diabetes,” claims Dr. Charlie Seltzer, a Philadelphia-based medical professional who is board-certified in both internal medicine and obesity.

But here’s where some of the ambiguity arises. “The active ingredient, semaglutide, is approved for weight loss under the trade name Wegovy,” claims Seltzer.

Elon Musk tweeted about Wegovy’s assistance with his weight loss in October 2022.

Distinction between Wegovy and Olympic

Semaglutide and injectables are both sold under the trade names Ozempic and Wegovy. They aren’t precisely the same, though.

“Wegovy is FDA-approved for the treatment of overweight and obesity,” claims Kumar. “Wegovy was developed specifically for the treatment of overweight and obesity,” according to the manufacturer. “It contains a higher dose of semaglutide, [2.4 mg], than Ozempic.”

Does Ozempic aid in shedding pounds?

Kumar points out that Wegovy’s dosing was employed in the studies on semaglutide and weight loss, including one from 2021 that showed that once-weekly doses of 2.4 mg of semaglutide could lower body weight when paired with dietary and lifestyle modifications.

“[In the] study,] those who took the medication and made lifestyle changes lost almost 15% of their body weight, on average, compared to 3% in the placebo group,” Kumar claims.

So certainly, semaglutide may aid in weight loss, at least at a greater dose of 2.4 mg. Although Seltzer observes that the two medications function similarly, it is uncertain whether the 0.4 mg dosage difference between Ozempic and Wegovy is significant.

As food takes longer to leave the stomach and suppresses hunger, ozempic prolongs satiety, according to Seltzer. “It does nothing magical to the metabolism.”

In addition, Kumar points out that despite what some celebrities and social media influencers may say, these medications are not intended for those who just want to drop a few pounds.

“Normal-weight patients without diabetes might lose weight if they take GLP-1s, but the risks of the medication outweigh the benefit of weight loss just to be thin versus treating a disease,” says Kumar. “GLP-1s have not been studied in this population, and with this type of inappropriate use, we probably will see more side effects.”

Is Ozempic safe?

For adults with type 2 diabetes, ozempic is typically regarded as safe in doses up to 2 mg, however doctors agree that some people shouldn’t take it.

“It should be avoided in many populations, including but not limited to people with a history of pancreatitis, people who have had medullary thyroid cancer, or who are at increased risk for medullary thyroid cancer,” says Seltzer.

If you are a good candidate for Ozempic, your doctor can help you decide. Furthermore, some persons might suffer negative effects. According to Fitch, typical ones include:

  • nausea
  • constipation
  • dizziness
  • reduction in appetite
  • diarrhea

Can you regain weight after using semaglutide?

Patients who quit taking 2.4 mg dosages of semaglutide had gained back two-thirds of the weight they had lost one year after stopping, according to a trial of nearly 2,000 patients published in 2022.

The same problems that got the people into difficulty in the first place will still exist once the drug is stopped or loses its effectiveness, according to Seltzer, and the weight will quickly regain.

Fitch concurs,

Whatever you do personally to aid in weight loss, Fitch advises, “You have to keep doing it, or the weight will come back.” “The human body was created in this manner. It is constructed to safeguard its weight at all costs. Care for the elderly is crucial.

“Since obesity is a chronic disease, you must treat it chronically, ongoingly, and in a coordinated, comprehensive way,” adds Fitch. For a comprehensive approach to metabolic health, weight control, and primary care, patients must collaborate with their doctor.

What other therapies are there for obesity?

First, Fitch emphasises the need of being nonjudgmental and emphasising joint decision-making in all obesity treatments.

According to Fitch, “obesity is a lifelong chronic disease and should be treated in a compassionate and thorough patient-centered way, such as shared decision making around taking medication or having surgery with the risks and benefits in mind.”

Although diet and exercise are frequently suggested as first-line therapy, they are not always effective.

“Obesity is a complex disease with many factors,” explains Fitch. “We add in other treatments to help patients live longer, healthier, better quality lives when lifestyle changes are not enough.”

REFERENCES:

For Weight loss medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=20

Can antibiotics help in reducing endometriosis symptoms?

Can antibiotics help in reducing endometriosis symptoms?

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Researchers discovered that compared to less than 10% of individuals without the ailment, approximately two-thirds of patients with endometriosis have higher levels of a particular bacterium around their uterus.

The researchers observed that the levels of the bacteria and the development of endometriosis-related lesions were decreased after administering antibiotics to endometriosis-affected mice.

To determine whether the results apply to people, however, more research is required.

In the disorder known as endometriosis, uterine lining-like cells proliferate outside of the uterus. Along with symptoms like discomfort and nausea, this can result in the production of scar tissue and inflammation in the pelvic area as well as different organs.

In the entire world, endometriosis affects about 10% of people of reproductive age who were born female. There is presently no cure for the illness, though various therapies can assist control it. Additionally, there is no method to avoid the illness.

Millions of people worldwide could have their health and quality of life improved as a result of further endometriosis research.

Recently, scientists discovered that treating mice with a particular bacterium may lessen lesions related to endometriosis. Science Translational Medicine included the findings in one of its issues.

Not a part of the study, Dr. Marc Winter, medical director of Hoag’s minimally invasive surgical gynaecology, told us:

Fusobacterium, a type of bacteria, is implicated in this study from Japan as a potential agent encouraging the development of inflammatory cells that cause inflammation, scar tissue, and pain related to endometriosis. This finding may prompt the addition of particular antibiotics as an essential component of endometriosis therapy.

Fusobacterium in endometriosis

Starting with fibroblasts from four patients with endometriosis and four individuals without, the researchers performed a genomic study. Cells known as fibroblasts help repair wounds and create connective tissues.

They discovered that individuals with endometriosis had much higher levels of the transgelin (TAGLN) gene. It also codes for a protein known as transgelin, which is involved in cell reproduction and is crucial for the growth of the illness.

The expression of TAGLN, which may result from a bacterial infection, can be upregulated by inflammation. According to prior studies, patients with endometriosis have much higher levels of some bacterial genera than healthy people.

The researchers next evaluated the frequency of a bacterium known as Fusobacterium within and outside of the uteruses of 79 people with and 76 people without endometriosis to examine how the presence of these bacteria in the uterine effects endometriosis.

Fusobacterium was found in higher concentrations in the uterine endometrial tissue of 64.3% and the endometrial tissue that had grown outside the uterus of 52.4% of patients with endometriosis. Only 7.1% of those without the disease had higher concentrations of the bacteria in their uteri.

The scientists then looked into whether Fusobacterium encouraged endometriosis in nine mice models of the disease. They discovered that Fusobacterim-exposed animals had higher uterine lesions than control mice.

In contrast, animals without Fusobacterium did not produce as many uterine lesions. This discrepancy persisted even after oestrogen stimulation, which medical professionals believe may induce tissue resembling uterine lining to develop outside of the uterus.

Treatment with antibiotics lessened symptoms

The final goal of the study was to see whether antibiotics could eliminate Fusobacterium in mice and lessen endometriosis symptoms.

To do this, scientists treated endometriosis-affected mice models with metronidazole and chloramphenicol for a total of five days. After a week, they discovered that the mice no longer had Fusobacterium and that transgelin expression had decreased close to the uterus.

They added that animals given antibiotics had less and smaller endometrial lesions than mice not given antibiotics.

According to the researchers’ findings, both antibiotics might be effective in treating endometriosis. However, they pointed out that it is uncertain why Fusobacterium infects some people.

Endometriosis bacteria are unknown.

We discussed the limits of the study with Dr. Karnika Kapoor, a family doctor from Medical Offices of Manhattan who was not engaged in it.

Since mice don’t have a menstrual cycle and don’t naturally develop endometriosis, the mouse model employed in this study has some inherent limitations, according to the researcher.

She said that there is insufficient evidence in the study to support the theory that endometriosis is promoted by Fusobacterium near the uterus after retrograde menstruation, which occurs when the period flows upward via the fallopian tubes and is thought by some researchers to be a possible cause of the disorder.

The authors were careful to make it clear that their analysis could not establish causation, Dr. Stringfellow did observe. This is an important distinction.

“More research is required to prove that Fusobacterium is a causal agent. To ascertain whether other microbial species might have a harmful function, more investigation is also required, he added.

Treatment with antibiotics can slow the spread of endometriosis.

These two studies provide evidence that antibiotic therapy can slow the spread of endometriosis and stop the early development of endometriotic lesions.

The bacterial ecosystem in the mice given antibiotic treatment was also examined by the researchers. Mice with endometriosis who were not given antibiotics had a greater variety of bacteria in their guts.

The mice that received antibiotic treatment had the least bacterial variety.

For endometriosis, metronidazole might be more efficient.

The effectiveness of metronidazole and neomycin as a stand-alone endometriosis treatment was also investigated by the researchers. Lesions on the mice receiving metronidazole were less severe than those on the mice receiving neomycin.

Additionally, the lesions in the mice receiving metronidazole exhibited fewer inflammatory components.

Finally, mice with endometriosis treated with metronidazole were fed endometriotic mouse faeces. Endometriotic lesions developed and resembled those from endometriosis animals given aspartame in their drinking water in terms of mass and volume.

This shows that the bacterial population in the gut can affect how endometriosis develops and spreads.

Future treatments for endometriosis

Dr. Kapoor discussed the limitations of the available endometriosis treatments today.

The current endometriosis treatment options rely on hormone medication, which prevents women from becoming pregnant while receiving care. The removal of endometrial lesions raises concerns since there is a high recurrence rate, which is an option for people with recurring pelvic pain, she said.

“This research appears to point to a possible Fusobacterium-related mechanism of endometriosis, and that antibiotic elimination is a treatment possibility. If antibiotic therapies for endometriosis are found to be beneficial in subsequent research, we could be able to use them in our clinical practise. Karnika Kapoor, M.D.

Dr. Winter concurred that the discoveries might result in fresh therapeutic approaches. “The function of Fusobacterium in promoting endometriosis may result in a completely new strategy for treating it. Further research is required to understand the contribution of Fusobacterium to the development of endometriosis, according to him.

He said, “The use of a widely prescribed antibiotic metronidazole may be a key in improving the efficacy of endometriosis treatment.”

Further research is required.

If similar effects also occur in humans, more research is needed to confirm this. There may be new endometriosis treatments developed if gut bacteria can affect the onset and course of endometriosis in humans.

REFERENCES:

For Antibiotic medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=4

Longer naps may increase the risk of obesity & hypertension

Longer naps may increase the risk of obesity & hypertension

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According to research, those who nap during the day for longer than 30 minutes appear to be more likely to be obese and have high blood pressure.

They observed that persons with shorter naps are less likely to develop high blood pressure.

Longer naps, according to specialists, may play a role in these illnesses because they can disturb both eating and sleeping patterns at night.

More than 30-minute naps during the midday may raise blood pressure, increase body mass index, and worsen diabetes and heart-related diseases, according to research.

The prevalence of high blood pressure was lower among people who took what are known as “power naps,” which are midday sleep sessions lasting 30 minutes or fewer.

Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston evaluated more than 3,000 adults from a Mediterranean population—where midday naps, known as “siestas,” are common—for a recent study that was published in the journal Obesity.

The duration of siestas and their association with metabolic syndrome and obesity were investigated by the researchers.

According to studies, those who take siestas of at least 30 minutes are more likely than those who don’t to have higher blood pressure, a higher body mass index, and other diseases linked to diabetes and heart disease.

Additionally, compared to people who did not take a siesta, those who took brief naps were less likely to exhibit elevated systolic blood pressure. “Not all siestas are the same,” said Marta Garaulet, Ph.D., MS, a senior study author and a visiting professor in the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders. “The health effects of a nap can depend on the length of time, position of sleep, and other particular factors.”

Obesity and Naps

According to Garaulet, the group previously conducted research in the UK and discovered that siestas were linked to a higher risk of obesity. The next step was to examine siestas in a nation where afternoon naps were more prevalent in culture.

According to Garaulet, “in this case, Spain, as well as how the duration of siestas is related to metabolic health.” The group notes that there are more than 1 billion obese people in the world, which is a rising health risk.

In the course of metabolic processes, how people digest food has a connection to fat accumulation in the body. Researchers suggested that studying how habits, such as napping, alter certain metabolic pathways, could contribute in the understanding of how habits affect health.

Findings from the napping research

The group looked at information from 3,275 persons in the Murcia region of Spain.

Participants at the University of Murcia had their baseline metabolic parameters assessed, and information about their naps and other lifestyle elements was gathered. No siestas, shorter than 30 minutes, and more than 30 minutes were the categories into which the subjects were split.

In comparison to those who did not take siestas, subjects who took longer naps had higher body mass indices and were more likely to have metabolic syndrome (MetS).

The extended nap group exhibited greater waist circumference, fasting glucose levels, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure values as compared to the no-siesta group. Longer siestas were linked to later nighttime eating and sleeping, more energy consumed during lunch, and smoking.

Sleep and obesity

A lot of study has been done on the relationship between sleep and obesity, according to Becca Krukowski, PhD, a professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

In contrast, Krukowski noted, “This article adds knowledge about sleep and health risks in a cultural context where naps are promoted among healthy people, across the lifespan, while also considering other potentially related factors, such as nap length and eating patterns.”

According to Krukowski, it’s probable that the health issues led to the lengthier sleeps rather than the other way around. The direction of these correlations cannot be determined from this study because it is cross-sectional. It’s likely that obese people sleep less soundly at night and require longer naps as a result.

The study, according to Krukowski, might be a first step towards more illuminating research.

“Previous studies have shown that weight loss interventions improve sleep quality,” said Krukowski. It could be interesting to look at whether weight loss is impacted by sleep therapies, such as controlling nap length and increasing nocturnal sleep.

More study is required on napping

The authors of the study acknowledged that it’s possible that some factors—rather than siestas per se—might be a result of obesity rather than being caused by siestas, as evidenced by a prior investigation of data from the UK Biobank that found a causal link between napping and obesity, particularly abdominal obesity, which they refer to as the most harmful type.

The link between siestas and health indices was found to be mediated by a number of statistically relevant lifestyle factors, according to the authors.

They urge further investigation into whether a little siesta is preferable to a long one, especially for people who smoke, have bad habits like sleeping in late or delaying meals, or who have delayed sleep patterns.

The Brigham’s Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders’ Frank Scheer, PhD, a senior neuroscientist and professor in the Medical Chronobiology Programme, commented on the study’s findings in a statement. “This study shows the importance of considering siesta length and raises the question of whether short naps may offer unique benefits,” he said. Numerous institutions are starting to recognise the advantages of quick naps, mostly for work productivity but also more and more for overall health.

REFERENCES:

For High blood pressure medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=8

Analyze the links between BMI, obesity & cognitive ability.

Analyze the links between BMI, obesity & cognitive ability.

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According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there were more than 650 million obese adults in the world as of 2016. Obesity has been linked in the past to an increased risk of cognitive deterioration.

Evidence from University College London researchers challenges the idea that fat and cognitive capacity are causally related.

Around the world, more than 1.9 billion adults were obese in 2016, with more than 650 million of those adults suffering from obesity, a disease in which a person’s weight is over normal ranges and may lead to various health issues.

According to current estimates, 167 million adults and children will be overweight or obese by 2025. A multitude of disorders, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer, have been linked to obesity in previous studies, including these.

Furthermore, previous research has connected obesity to a higher risk of cognitive deterioration.

The causal relationship between obesity and cognitive performance has now been called into question by University College London academics. They contend that common family variables have tainted the research linking cognitive aptitude and BMI.

Obesity

If a person’s present weight is excessive for their height, they are considered obese. The body mass index (BMI) is the most popular metric for determining a person’s level of obesity.

This tool determines if an adult is obese or not based on their height and current weight:

  • BMI less than 18.5 indicates underweight.
  • Suitable BMI range: 18.5-24.9
  • BMI of 25 to 29.9 indicates obesity
  • obesity: a BMI of 30 or above

Children and teenagers need a different BMI calculator, which considers height, age, and gender to evaluate obesity because they are still developing.

The BMI measurement is not without problems, though. It is unable to distinguish between muscle and fat when weighing someone. Additionally, it disregards a person’s race, overall body composition, or bone density.

Cognitive function and obesity

Lead author of this study and senior research fellow at the Centre for Longitudinal Studies at University College London in the U.K., Dr. Liam Wright, Ph.D., states that there are several reasons why the research team decided to investigate the causal relationship between cognitive capacity and obesity:

“Over the past forty years, there has been a significant rise in the prevalence of obesity, but BMI hasn’t increased uniformly throughout the population. Therefore, it is crucial to understand why some people are more predisposed to obesity than others.

Additionally, there is a substantial body of research in the field of cognitive epidemiology that demonstrates a connection between cognitive function and practically every measure of health and health behaviour, including obesity.

Unfortunately, the majority of the cognitive epidemiology literature employs observational research designs that may be biassed and fail to show causal effects, according to Dr. Wright. “There are some compelling theoretical arguments for why cognitive ability might have a causal effect on health, but regrettably, these arguments are based on observational research designs,” she said. Because a sibling design could take into account some of the variables that can skew relationships found in previous research, we felt it was crucial to investigate for a relationship between cognitive capacity and BMI.

Examining siblings to reduce bias

Dr. Wright and his research group evaluated data from four distinct young population cohort studies carried out in the United States that included 12,250 siblings from 5,602 homes. Each participant’s data were tracked from youth to age 62.

The scientists were able to take into consideration unobserved characteristics associated with family background by analysing the relationship between cognitive capacity and BMI among families.

“Sibling designs account for factors that are shared between siblings by design,” Dr. Wright said. They don’t require the measurement of these factors, which is both a benefit and a drawback because it is difficult to determine which common factors actually contribute.

With this qualification, he continued, “There are four main factors that we thought might be significant: genetics (siblings share 50% of DNA), parental socioeconomic class (wealth, location, etc.), parenting styles (particularly regarding dietary choices), and parental cognitive ability (cognitive ability could operate indirectly!). “Once more, we didn’t directly examine these.”

According to Dr. Wright, they predicted that these variables would make general population studies more biassed and lead to weaker relationships than in earlier studies, which is exactly what they found.

However, he cautioned, “remember that sibling designs have their own flaws, including the ability for siblings to influence one another, for example, by modelling one another’s behaviour. This may imply that our findings are also skewed, albeit downwardly and smaller than the actual causal effect.

Association between BMI and cognitive ability

When the researchers evaluated the data from study participants who were not related, they discovered that, after accounting for family socioeconomic status, the change in teenage cognitive capacity from the 25th to the 75th percentile was associated with an estimated 0.61 kg/m drop in BMI.

And when the researchers analyzed the information from siblings, they discovered that the change in BMI from the 25th to the 75th percentile of teenage cognitive ability was only correlated with a 0.06 kg/m drop in cognitive capacity.

The relationship between cognitive capacity and BMI was less pronounced when siblings were compared than when the entire population was, according to Dr. Wright, but he was not surprised by this given the overall characteristics he mentioned.

However, he noted, “I was shocked at how little of an association there was when comparing siblings. As said, there are strong arguments to support the idea that cognitive ability has an impact on health and health-related decision-making“.

“Two possibilities for this small association are that one, our results were biassed towards finding smaller associations (e.g., by siblings influencing each other), and two, reflective decision-making isn’t as important in determining BMI as other factors like satiety, etc.,” Dr. Wright continued. Both of these are hypothetical.

Unproven causality

As a parent and a neurologist, Dr. Segil claimed that he has never observed a connection between obesity or a healthy weight and cognitive aptitude in people.obese

The purpose of this study, according to Dr. Segil, “is to argue that people with higher cognitive abilities, who have a higher socioeconomic position, have made healthier decisions.” Additionally, it’s possible that people’s cognitive function increases as their BMI decreases when they make healthier decisions.

He continued, “I do not believe that there is any evidence linking obesity to cognitive function. And I believe that their research’s use of siblings or other family members who are in a similar social economic situation to real-life situations such as brothers or sisters or siblings is realistic.”

After reading this study, Dr. Segil stated that he would be curious to know whether maternal or paternal obesity had a greater impact on adolescent cognitive development.

As a result of reading this, they claimed that adolescent cognition is linked to a lower adult BMI, he continued. So I’m keen to know if stronger adolescent cognitive abilities are related to the maternal and paternal BMI. Does having a thin or fat parent, using the same dataset, alter their children’s cognitive ability?I was shocked, though, by how little of an association there was when comparing siblings. As mentioned, there are strong arguments to support the idea that cognitive ability has an impact on one’s health and decision-making in relation to their health.

RFERENCES:

For Cognitive disease medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?cPath=77_478

Can hormones predict the possibility of weight loss?

Can hormones predict the possibility of weight loss?

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In addition to being one of the world’s greatest killers, obesity is linked to several medical disorders. The majority of people who do succeed in losing excess weight do so only to gain it back, which frequently frustrates attempts to shed excess weight through lifestyle changes.

Understanding the complicated function that hormones play in this process may aid in the creation of effective long-term treatments for obesity.

Now that higher levels of the hormone neurotensin have been connected to greater weight loss maintenance in obese individuals, this information provides another hint as to how to rebound weight gain might be controlled.

It has long been understood that while many people who struggle with overweight or obese can lose excess weight through lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, it can be difficult for many of them to keep it off.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) views obesity as an epidemic since it causes more than 4 million deaths annually. Many of these fatalities are thought to be preventable with weight loss. For instance, it has been demonstrated that a weight loss of 5–7% can halt or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Sadly, up to 80% of people who lose weight through diet and exercise gain back every bit of the weight they previously did. In the past, this weight increase has been attributed to a lack of self-control or a failure to follow weight maintenance plans.

A higher level of the hormone neurotensin may be associated with a superior capacity to maintain weight loss in obese people who have recently lost weight, according to the most recent research, which gives a fresh explanation.

Do we regain weight after weight loss?

The assumption that the body would return to a predetermined weight despite weight loss or growth has been proposed as one theory to explain why people experience rebound weight gain.

Bariatric surgeon Dr. Mir Ali of Orange Coast Medical Centre in Fountain Valley, California, who also serves as the center’s medical director, explained:

According to the set point theory, there is a weight that your body prefers to maintain at all times (within 5 to 10 pounds). This set point can be influenced by a variety of factors, including age, heredity, sex, health issues, and degree of activity. But it’s unclear what mechanisms might be at work in this observation.

The importance of hormones in hunger regulation has just recently come to light, despite the WHO reporting a rise in the number of persons with obesity starting in the 1970s. Only in 1999 was ghrelin, a hormone that promotes the desire to eat, separated and identified. Its ability to control hunger, fat storage, and energy regulation is now well documented. It also has interactions with other hormones like insulin which are important in regulating energy and storing fat.

Researchers have postulated that the fact that ghrelin levels tend to increase after weight reduction brought on by diet and exercise may be the cause of “rebound weight gain.” Contrarily, after bariatric surgery, which has a lower rate of rebound weight gain than diet and exercise-based therapies, levels of this hormone drop.

Less than 20 years ago, in 2004, researchers found that ghrelin and leptin, a hormone that controls satiety and long-term energy balance, interact. Since then, it has been shown that obese individuals have leptin resistance, which makes them less susceptible to its appetite-suppressing benefits.

looking into the neurotensin hormone

Recently, the focus has shifted to a different hormone termed neurotensin and its potential contribution to weight gain following weight reduction. The brain and intestines both generate this hormone. Previous studies have demonstrated that neurotensin levels rise following bariatric surgery, much like other hormones that control hunger and energy expenditure.

According to Dr. Gina Leinninger, an associate professor of physiology at Michigan State University who studies how the body manages its energy and how it affects obesity in people.

The possibility that neurotensin could modify body weight has drawn increasing attention. We were aware from earlier studies that neurotensin could cause animal models to eat less and move around more, two behaviors that might help them lose weight.

Higher neurotensin levels following meals may be associated with an individual’s likelihood of maintaining weight loss, according to a group of Danish researchers. In mice and obese adults, they also demonstrated a drop in neurotensin levels following weight loss.

Effects of neurotensin on preserving weight loss

8 obese mice were kept on a regular diet as controls, while 9 obese mice were placed on a calorie-restricted diet for 8 days. After the animals were put to sleep, the scientists collected samples from the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and proximal colon to examine the levels of neurotensin expressed in those regions.

The goal of the calorie-restricted diet for mice was to promote weight loss that was comparable to what was shown in the 8-week human research.

The amounts of neurotensin in the jejunum region of the small intestine were much lower in the mice whose access to food was restricted, the researchers discovered.

The next step was to examine how a group of 42 obese patients responded to an extremely low-calorie diet plan of roughly 800 calories per day for eight weeks. Following this regimen, participants lost 12.3 kg on average. Participants underwent testing to see how their leptin, insulin, ghrelin, and neurotensin levels changed in the three hours following a meal after these 8 weeks.

For a further 52 weeks, researchers gave this group of participants instructions to eat a diet with a calorie restriction (600 fewer calories than their daily requirements).

Researchers examined data for a subcohort of participants from both groups—those who had lost over 3% weight during the maintenance period and those who had gained at least 5% of their initial weight loss—in order to examine the effect of hormones on weight loss maintenance.

After the initial 8-week weight loss phase, they discovered that those who had initially displayed a higher level of neurotensin in the three hours following a meal were more likely to have continued to lose weight during the maintenance phase.

What does this indicate for the management of obesity?

The Metabolism research is the first to link variations in circulating neurotensin to better/more sustained weight loss results in humans, and it suggests that (in the future), manipulating the neurotensin system might be helpful to support and/or optimise weight reduction. Dr. Leinninger acknowledged that there is still much to learn before that objective can be met.

In her own research, Dr. Leinninger examined the areas of the brain that neurotensin affects and if these areas are involved in the management of energy and obesity. That will be the focus of the following research steps.

How neurotensin can regulate weight and, more particularly, where in the body it acts, are the next great unanswered mysteries. We have some promising results in my lab’s investigation into how and where in the brain neurotensin can affect body weight, she said.

REFERENCES:

For Weight loss medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=20

Can Bariatric surgery treat people with obesity & diabetes?

Can Bariatric surgery treat people with obesity & diabetes?

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Diabetes is a chronic disease that can cause nerve damage among other long-term problems. One method of weight loss is bariatric surgery, which may be necessary for some obese people.

According to a recent study, bariatric surgery may benefit those who have type 2 diabetes by reducing peripheral neuropathy. To assist patients in maintaining a healthy body weight, doctors employ a range of strategies. Bariatric surgery may be advantageous for those who are obese.

To fully comprehend the advantages of bariatric surgery, researchers are still working. How bariatric surgery might affect particular diabetic problems is one topic of investigation.

An investigation of the effects of bariatric surgery on diabetic complications in obese patients was recently published in Diabetologia.

Researchers saw stabilisation of retinopathy and cardiac autonomic neuropathy as well as improved peripheral neuropathy.

long-term impact of diabetes

Diabetes is a persistent disease. It has to do with how well the body can use glucose (sugar) for energy and the hormone insulin.

Diabetes has a number of long-term problems that might develop if it is not well managed. For instance, peripheral neuropathy, which is nerve damage that affects the feet, legs, arms, and hands, is one problem.

Another is retinopathy, which eventually harms the eyes and impairs vision. The nerves that govern the heart are also damaged in cardiac autonomic neuropathy. These damage areas may result in poor health and a lower quality of life.

Dr. Denise Pate, a board-certified medical professional and Medical Director at Medical Offices of Manhattan who was not engaged in the current study, provided additional details regarding the harm peripheral neuropathy causes:

Peripheral nerves are responsible for detecting sensations of touch, pain, and warmth. When these nerves are harmed by high blood sugar levels, the body is no longer able to perceive these stimuli. This can cause discomfort and, even worse, put a diabetic at danger of failing to notice minor damage to their extremities. These minor wounds carry the risk of skin and bone infection and, ultimately, amputation.

Bariatric surgery is recommended?

Obesity is a condition that some type 2 diabetics may also have. Some surgical treatments may be suggested by doctors as a result of these contributing variables.

There are several different bariatric surgery choices, and they can help in maintaining weight loss. For those who have had trouble reducing weight through other methods including diet and exercise, these solutions might be helpful.

Without participating in the study, Dr. Mir Ali, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Centre at Orange Coast Medical Centre in Fountain Valley, California, told that “the indications for bariatric surgery currently accepted by most insurance carriers is a BMI greater than 40 or 35 with additional comorbid conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, or sleep apnea.”

“The goal with surgery, which has been demonstrated in many studies, is to resolve or improve comorbid conditions, increase life expectancy, and improve the quality of life,” he continued.

Bariatric surgery benefits for diabetes

This prospective cohort study examined the effects of bariatric surgery on metabolic risk variables and the reduction of diabetic complications. The components of the analysed metabolic risk factors included weight, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.

79 patients who underwent bariatric surgery and finished the 2-year follow-up were included in the study. All subjects had obesity of class 2 or 3.

The data revealed a decrease in peripheral neuropathy after two years. Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy and retinopathy remained constant. Additionally, participants’ quality of life and pain levels improved, according to researchers.

The majority of the metabolic risk indicators, including weight loss, showed improvement. They also discovered a link between improvement in retinopathy and improvement in fasting glucose levels.

Benefits of weight-loss surgery

In the 18 to 24 months following surgery, the majority of patients lose 50 to 80% of the extra weight. But following surgery, the impacts on blood sugar start happening right away (within days). Patients who have this procedure can decrease or stop taking their diabetes medications.

Particularly helpful at managing diabetes is Roux-en-Y surgery. After surgery, about 33% of these patients do not require diabetes medication. 85% of patients are medication-free within two years of surgery. Their diabetes is no longer an issue.

People with a kind of diabetes that does not require medication and those with diabetes for less than five years have a higher likelihood of experiencing complete remission from the disease.

The dangers of weight loss surgery

The following are possible risks linked to these procedures:

  • Anaesthesia doesn’t work well.
  • surgery-related harm to neighbouring organs.
  • Bleeding.
  • production of blood clots.
  • Infection.
  • The tissue that surrounds and supports the internal organs in the abdomen experiences peritoneal inflammation, or peritonitis.

Additional dangers comprise:

  • the intestines are blocked.
  • development of kidney and gallstones.
  • Anastomotic stenosis is the medical term for narrowing of the stomach-to-intestine opening.
  • Early and late dumping syndromes include nausea, abdominal pain, and vomiting after eating.
  • Malnutrition.

limitations of the study and further research

There were certain restrictions on the study. First of all, there were not enough volunteers and there was no control group. Additionally, some of the patients who underwent bariatric surgery made it challenging for the researchers to follow up with them.

The fact that they were then constrained by the follow-up period shows the need for research that focus more on the immediate impacts and have even longer follow-up periods. There is a need for future studies with a wider range of participants because more than 98% of the participants were non-Hispanic and more than 73% were women.

The results of the study do not prove a causal connection between the variables they looked at. Further research into this topic may shed more light on the subject because researchers only employed particular assessments of peripheral neuropathy.

When reviewing the study’s findings, D.R. Pate issued the following warnings: The type of bariatric surgery was also not thoroughly analysed in that of the 79 patients, 71 received sleeve gastrectomy and 8 got gastric bypass surgery. We may conclude that weight loss in general, and not necessarily the method through which the weight loss occurred, was crucial to the outcomes as the type of technique was not further evaluated for the outcome.

Dr. Callaghan stated that he and his associates “We are currently conducting a study to see which treatment for peripheral neuropathy, exercise, bariatric surgery, or both, helps the most.”

He explained, “This is a randomised trial that will offer even more reliable information on the effects of exercise and bariatric surgery on peripheral neuropathy.”

REFERENCES:

For Diabetes medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=13

Could eating on a time schedule affect my fertility?

Could eating on a time schedule affect my fertility?

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An increasingly well-liked weight-control strategy is time-restricted eating. This entails eating all of your meals and snacks during that time and fasting outside of it.

Evidence suggests that it may also reduce the risk of metabolic illnesses like diabetes. Some people find that it aids them in losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight.

An unfavorable effect of time-restricted eating on zebrafish fertility was discovered in a recent study. More study is required to find out similar occurrences in humans.

A type of intermittent fasting called time-restricted eating (TRE) emphasizes meal timing rather than calorie intake. It entails sticking to a rigid schedule of eating all of your meals and snacks — often between six and twelve hours each day. And only consuming water and calorie-free beverages outside of that window.

When following a TRE plan, a participant will select the eating window that best fits their lifestyle. By limiting their eating window, many people discover that they tend to eat less. This may make it an easy way to manage their weight. In recent years, the practice has grown in acceptance.

According to studies, TRE has various advantages. People with obesity who followed a 10-hour eating 14-hour fasting schedule for 8 weeks experienced clinically significant weight loss. Also, improvements in fasting blood glucose levels were observed. When obese women followed an 8:16 fasting schedule for three months, similar weight loss was observed.

Results haven’t always been favorable, either. According to a meta-analysis of 43 trials, calorie restriction was the best weight loss strategy, while intermittent fasting had a smaller impact.

TRE was found to have deleterious impacts on the quality of sperm and eggs in zebrafish. These effects persisted even when normal feeding was resumed.

Little impact on physical growth

For the study, the researchers employed zebrafish (Danio rerio), a little tropical fish that shares more than 70% of its genome with people. Zebrafish are tiny, thrive in big shoals in tanks, and reproduce quickly, making them a popular choice for research.

All of the fish had been fed an unrestricted diet before the experiment and were sexually mature. They were then randomly split into two groups by the researchers. One kept up the unrestricted diet, while the other went on a fast. The entire fish was added back to the diet after 15 days, according to the researchers.

The researchers measured the tail fin to determine somatic (body) growth during the 15-day experimental phase and after the animals were allowed to resume unrestricted feeding. They also evaluated reproductive performance, including the quality of the eggs and sperm produced.

The study’s authors discovered no distinction in somatic growth between the fish that had been fed normally and those that had been starved. Female fish, however, exhibited quicker fin growth than male fish after the fasting fish were put back on their regular diet.

Decline in egg and sperm quality

Females that were fasting had fewer offspring overall than those who were eating normally during the fast. However, the distinctions between fed and fasting fish vanished once they started re-feeding.

The quality of the offspring did differ before and after fasting, according to the researchers. Females produced fewer, but higher-quality children when fasting. The number of progeny increased once the fasting females resumed feeding, but their survival rate decreased.

Similarly, there was a decline in the quality of male sperm both during the fast and when feeding resumed.

Thus, fasting appeared to have a deleterious impact on gamete quality in both sexes, and the effects persisted even when normal food was resumed. According to the researchers, when food was scarce, fish focused more of their energy on maintaining their bodies and surviving rather than reproducing.

Similar effect on people?

UEA’s School of Biological Sciences professor and study’s corresponding author, Alexei Maklakov, stated: “Time-restricted fasting is a well-liked fitness and health trend that people follow to get in shape and lose weight,”

Prof. Alexei Maklakov stated, “But the way organisms adapt to food scarcity can affect the quality of eggs and sperm, and such effects could possibly persist after the end of the fasting period.”

Few research on the effects of TRE on fertility and reproduction have been conducted thus far, and the majority of these have involved rodents. The few human investigations, the majority of which had modest sample sizes, created more questions than they did answers.

Studies on humans

An extremely limited window (4-6 hours) for eating was discovered in a recent study to result in lower DHEA levels in obese women. DHEA is a steroid hormone that is crucial for the production of both estrogen and testosterone. Although this study was modest, experts emphasized the necessity for comparative studies in adults who are of a healthy weight.

Although the authors highlighted that there was little data in this area, another evaluation of papers revealed that intermittent fasting may lower androgen indicators in both men and women. This effect might help women with the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), but it could also have negative effects on men, like a loss of muscular mass.

The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Dr. Krista Varady, a professor of nutrition who was not involved in the study, has written extensively about TRE, She uttered:

Overall, I don’t believe that humans can benefit from these zebrafish research findings. According to findings from TRE studies conducted on humans, fasting has almost no negative effects on either a woman’s or a man’s reproductive hormones.

More study is required

Even though this study was done on fish, the authors claim that the results demonstrate how crucial it is to take into account how fasting may affect human fertility.

The study’s corresponding author, Dr. Edward Ivimey-Cook of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of East Anglia, said:

These findings emphasise how crucial it is to take into account not just how fasting affects body maintenance but also how it affects egg and sperm production.

He continued, “More research is needed to determine how long it takes for sperm and egg quality to get back to normal following the fasting period“.

Every year, hundreds of TRE articles in humans are published. I believe that rather than worrying about what is occurring in other non-mammalian species, we should concentrate on human discoveries. Humans and fish have radically different reproductive processes, making them quite different creatures. If this study had been conducted on people, it would have had a considerably greater impact.

REFERENCES:

For Fertility medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=50

Men & women have different drivers leading to weight gain.

Men & women have different drivers leading to weight gain.

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According to recent studies, men’s and women’s brains are affected by obesity in distinct ways, possibly necessitating sex-specific treatment methods.

This study investigated differences between males and females with high BMI compared to individuals with a normal BMI by analyzing various types of brain scans in combination with other clinical information. While some brain imaging studies have shown how obesity impacts eating behaviors.

Men and women with high BMI showed differences in particular brain regions, the researchers discovered, suggesting that treating each patient according to sex may be essential in the fight against obesity.

The researchers assert that when investigating obesity, it’s crucial to take gender variations between men and women into account.

To discover sex-specific processes in the brain that cause obesity, the study, which was published in the journal Brain Communications, analyzed data from MRI scans, clinical characteristics, and medical histories. It concluded that men and women experience obesity for various reasons.

Previous studies using brain imaging have demonstrated how obesity impacts eating behaviors; however, few studies have examined various forms of brain imaging to determine how obesity differs in males and girls.

Brain changes related to BMI

The study comprised 105 men and women with a lower BMI and 78 men and women with a high body mass index (BMI) that classified them as overweight or obese.

A measurement of body fat based on height and weight is called BMI. Having a higher BMI does not necessarily mean having more body fat.

Participants answered questions about their personality features, gastrointestinal symptoms, food addiction, childhood trauma, sensitivity to common symptoms including headaches and dizziness, anxiety and depression symptoms, and other topics.

Additionally, they received three MRIs to evaluate the connections between various brain regions as well as the anatomy and function of the brain. The findings demonstrated that high BMI in both men and women was related to distinct alterations in brain connectivity.

According to researchers, this included “changes in many regions of the brain that respond to food or food-associated cues,” which were linked to traumatic early life experiences. 

In addition, they discovered that in contrast to men with high BMI, women with high BMI exhibited connection abnormalities linked to higher anxiety and weaker resilience.

Other abnormalities in connectivity found in women with high BMI raise the possibility that women may struggle to link emotions to goal-directed action planning. According to them, women may experience more “emotional overeating” as a result than men.

Additionally, certain brain alterations raise the possibility that high BMI women are more sensitive to the look, smell, and flavor of too processed foods.

Kinds of brain scans

To learn more about how obesity presents differently in the brains of men and women, the researchers used multimodal brain imaging (structure, connectivity, and function) using a data-driven methodology.

Data from 183 subjects, including 78 with high BMI and 105 with normal BMI, were examined for the study.

The researchers gathered information on mood, early life events, and eating patterns using a variety of brain scans and surveys.

They tested their ability to distinguish between participants with high BMI and those with normal BMI, as well as between males and females with high BMI, by utilizing a technique called DIABLO to analyze this data.

Differences between men and women for weight gain

Gupta and her colleagues discovered in a previous study that emotional and compulsive eating appears to have a higher impact on the onset of obesity in women.

Contrarily, men’s eating habits are typically more influenced by their knowledge of gut feelings and visceral reactions, such as those brought on by abdominal discomfort.

According to Gupta in the release, these findings “may be important to focus on emotional regulation techniques and vulnerability factors in designing treatment plans for females with high BMI.”

She and her coworkers warn that this study merely identifies correlations between BMI, clinical markers like anxiety and depression, and alterations in the brain.

To find out whether brain alterations cause an increase in BMI or whether being overweight or obese has unique effects on the brain, more studies, including longitudinal studies, will be required.

This study, according to Dr. Mir Ali, a bariatric surgeon at Orange Coast Medical Centre in Fountain Valley, California, and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Centre, demonstrates that weight loss is more involved than just what you eat and how much exercise you get.

“Hormones, emotions, metabolism, genetics, and many other factors play a role,” said Ali, who was not involved in the new study. Furthermore, “this study shows that there is a significant difference between men and women, in terms of emotions and eating.”

Continual hunger and overeating

Dr. Gupta observed that changes in emotion-related brain areas in obese women were associated with higher levels of compulsive eating. In contrast, gut and visceral sensations linked to abdominal discomfort and hunger were correlated with brain areas involved in eating behavior and obesity in men.

The article is intriguing for two reasons, according to Dr. Florencia Halperin, chief medical officer at Form, a business that offers medical treatment for metabolic disorders linked to obesity.

First, although the causes are unknown, there are gender disparities in obesity.

Second, obesity has biological roots, and knowing how obese individuals’ brains differ from those of non-obese people may aid in both diagnosis and therapy.

This study implies that we may be able to distinguish between individuals with obesity and those with a healthy BMI using MRI-based imaging tests. The present study, however, has certain drawbacks. Dr. Florencia Halperin explained that because the study was cross-sectional (comparing one group to another group), causality could not be established in any way.

According to Dr. Sarah-Nicole Bostan, director of Behaviour Change Strategy at Signos, the study is “compelling as it bows to the age-old therapeutic question of “what works, for whom, and under what conditions.”

The findings of this article hint towards a more holistic, personalized approach to weight loss that takes into account lifestyle factors, emotional management strategies, and potentially vulnerable characteristics like early puberty, said Kelsey Costa, a registered dietitian nutritionist at MIDSS.

Second, details on the majority of the significant male obesity factors were lacking. Even though this knowledge is crucial, there are still unanswered issues regarding the factors that affect male obesity the most, she continued.

Ways to prevent obesity

According to Ali, whether people are candidates for obesity treatments like a gastric sleeve or gastric bypass surgery relies on criteria outside their sex, like their BMI and other medical issues.

But in his experience, males are more likely than women to succeed with surgical obesity therapies.

According to studies by Gupta and her colleagues, men’s eating behavior may be influenced by gut feelings. According to Ali, “surgery primarily affects the visceral sensation,” such as the feeling of fullness after eating.

Surgery alone may not be as helpful for patients who are emotional eaters because, he explained, “their body may be telling them that they are full, but their emotions are telling them to continue eating.”

However, Ali said that patients’ experiences can vary significantly, with some women recovering well from surgery for years while others might have a weight increase soon after.

Weight loss treatment

Other forms of obesity therapies may be more significantly impacted by the latest study’s findings. Research has already examined how emotional control affects weight loss in both older women and teenagers.

Customizing obesity therapies, however, is not a novel concept. With their patients, doctors already perform such actions, however they consider a variety of other aspects as well as biological sex.

Dr. Ilan Shapiro, chief health correspondent and medical affairs officer at AltaMed Health Services in Los Angeles, who was not involved in the new study, stated, for instance, “It is important to acknowledge each patient’s metabolic system and the social determinants of health.”

“When we address age, gender, mental health, and chronic diseases, it helps us to achieve the best interventional outcome,” he said.

He added that in addition to these aspects, doctors also consider the patient’s nutrition, exercise routines, sleeping patterns, stress levels, and coping mechanisms, and mental health.

There isn’t currently a proven technique for sex-based obesity therapies, according to Shapiro, but “hopefully, in the future, we’ll have more research to create an intervention template for patients.”

A person’s culture or community is another important element that, in his opinion, should be taken into account while developing obesity interventions.

Shapiro cited the example of community health professionals, known as promotors or promotes in Spanish, who can assist Hispanic populations in adopting appropriate weight management practices.

He stated, “As doctors, our goal is to assist patients in establishing healthier and happier lifestyles. Therefore, having medical professionals who are aware of cultural differences will benefit patients’ efforts to lose weight.

REFERENCES:

For Weight loss medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=20

Trial Obesity therapy can lead to nausea-less weight loss.

Trial Obesity therapy can lead to nausea-less weight loss.

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Researchers have created a new class of peptides that might offer gastric bypass surgery’s advantages without requiring intrusive procedures. According to recent research, these peptides helped obese rats lose a large amount of weight and lower their blood glucose levels.

The injectable substances minimise eating while also increasing calorie burn, and they do so without the side effects of nausea and vomiting that are frequently associated with modern weight reduction and diabetic medications.

Diabetes and obesity are both major public health issues, with the former being one of the main risk factors for the latter. A good therapeutic option is bariatric surgery, which includes the gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, and gastric band. It can lead to long-term weight loss and even the remission of diabetes.

These procedures, nevertheless, have significant risks, are not appropriate for everyone, and are not easily accessible to the majority of people. Therefore, some researchers propose that a different therapeutic choice would be to treat metabolic problems with medication that mimics the long-term benefits of surgery.

Obesity

According to the National Institutes of Health, obesity and being overweight are chronic illnesses that are widespread in the United States.

These problems can worsen a variety of other medical conditions and are associated with heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

The following are some of the factors that contribute to obesity:

  • eating habits, such as consuming meals and drinks that are high in calories but poor in nutrients
  • sleep deprivation
  • absence of exercise
  • Many drugs, including those prescribed for diabetes, depression, or high blood pressure
  • genealogy and genetics

Overweight or obesity affects over three-fourths of US adults over the age of 20. Obesity affects 20% of kids between the ages of 2 and 19 years.

Body mass index (BMI) is used by medical practitioners to check for overweight and obesity. The formula is: Height squared divided by weight (in kilos) (in meters.) Online BMI calculators abound, one of which is provided by the CDC.

Sood told that he would like future research on weight loss to evaluate both weight loss and body composition. “We just lack sufficient knowledge to determine whether patients taking gut hormone agonists for weight loss are mostly losing fat or a mixture of fat and muscle,” says the researcher (the latter is more likely). To age properly and retain a strong metabolism as we age, losing muscle would be counterproductive.

Gut peptides

Some patients who have had gastric bypass surgery benefit from specific health advantages linked to adjustments in the gut’s hormone output.

The hormones in question, such as peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), signal fullness, curb hunger, and aid in blood sugar regulation.

Targeting GLP-1 receptors in the pancreas and brain, scientists have created medications that seek to mimic these effects.

These medications have been effective in managing type 2 diabetes and weight loss. There is a need for better solutions with fewer side effects because some people are unable to handle the negative effects of these medications, and studies show that roughly half of those who start taking them stop within a year.

Better option

To meet this demand, a group led by scientists from Syracuse University in New York has created a novel peptide. On March 26–30, they discussed their most current findings at the ACS Spring 2023 meeting.

The researchers suggest that an alternate treatment for those with metabolic issues would be a substance that matches the long-term advantages of gastric bypass surgery.

Several strategies have been devised by researchers to alleviate the negative effects of medications that only target one hormone receptor in the stomach. Designing medications to interact with several receptor types is one approach.

In a prior investigation, the group produced a peptide named GEP44 that activates two peptide YY receptors and one glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor.

When this substance was tested on obese rats, it was discovered that the animals that received it consumed up to 80% less food than usual and on average lost 12% of their body weight over the course of the 16-day experiment.

In a recent study, they compared the novel peptide GEP44’s efficacy in treating obesity to that of the medication liraglutide.

According to the study, rats given GEP44 lost more weight than rats given liraglutide. When tested on rats and shrews, GEP44, unlike liraglutide, did not exhibit any signs of nausea or vomiting.

According to the researchers, this might be as a result of GEP44 activating a number of receptors, which might stop the intracellular signalling cascade that results in these symptoms.

Weight loss and high energy expenditure

This study also suggests that the weight reduction brought on by GEP44 is a result of increased energy expenditure rather than just a decrease in food consumption. The manifestation of this rise in energy expenditure can take several forms, including an increase in heart rate, body temperature, or physical activity.

By directing glucose into muscle tissue to be used as fuel and by transforming specific pancreatic cells into cells that produce insulin, peptide treatments like GEP44 not only aid in weight reduction but also aid in lowering blood sugar levels.

GEP44 must be administered numerous times daily to maintain its effectiveness because it has a brief half-life in the body. The team has created a novel peptide, however, that requires only one or two injections per week and has a far longer lifespan.

The researchers discovered that rats treated with this novel molecule continue to lose weight even after the treatment has ceased, which is unusual for medications currently on the market that have been licenced to treat obesity.

“Obesity is obviously an increasing epidemic worldwide,” Dr. Becca Krukowski, professor of public health sciences at the University of Virginia and a non-participant in this study, told us.

What does it implies?

Although these are preliminary results in lab animals, Dr. Krukowski said that “over time, our research may lead to novel drugs that are safe and beneficial for patients.” But before being widely administered, this medication would need to go through the deliberate deliberate slow and thorough multi-stage and multi-year testing process, she warned.

However, if this treatment characteristic was verified in trials with humans, Krukowski continued, “the possible lack of weight regain after ceasing treatment would be extremely interesting.”

Both positive and negative impacts from this research, according to Bishoff, are possible. “The benefits being that patients can take lesser doses of medications that can deliver desired results while reducing nausea and vomiting side effects.

On the other hand, it’s possible that weight loss medications lower caloric intake to the point of malnutrition or deficiency. In the end, additional study will be required, which may take several years.

Although there may be some medical advantages to weight reduction medications, it’s crucial that patients understand they shouldn’t be used as a substitute for a healthy lifestyle. They can be viewed as a tool as opposed to a fix. When controlling weight and diabetes, eating a variety of well-balanced meals, sticking to daily caloric goals, and exercising frequently should always be encouraged, according to Haley Bishoff.

REFERENCES:

For Weight loss medications that have been suggested by doctors worldwide are available here https://mygenericpharmacy.com/index.php?therapy=20

Higher blood caffeine linked to lower fat & type 2 diabetes

Higher blood caffeine linked to lower fat & type 2 diabetes

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Researchers looked into how measurements of body fat, type 2 diabetes risk, and cardiovascular risk were affected by a genetic susceptibility to high caffeine levels.

Scientists discovered a connection between less body fat and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and a higher genetic propensity to higher caffeine levels. The findings need to be confirmed by other research.

The psychoactive chemical that is most commonly ingested worldwide is caffeine. Coffee, tea, and soft drinks are the main sources of caffeine consumption.

According to certain research, caffeine consumption is associated with reduced body mass index (BMI), decreased fat mass, and weight loss. Consuming caffeine may therefore reduce the risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease that are connected to being overweight or obese.

However, it is unknown how much of these advantages are due to caffeine. According to one study, each additional cup of caffeinated coffee and each cup of decaffeinated coffee taken daily reduced the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 7% and 6%, respectively.

It may be possible to establish dietary guidelines to lower the risk of cardiometabolic disorders by learning more about how caffeine consumption affects their onset.

Recent studies looked into the impact of a genetic propensity for higher blood levels of caffeine. Scientists discovered a relationship between a genetic propensity for greater blood levels of caffeine and a decreased risk for type 2 diabetes.

Slower caffeine metabolism

Data from a genome-wide association meta-analysis of 9,876 people with primarily European ancestry were used by the researchers to conduct this study.

They examined two common genetic variants—CYP1A2 and AHR genes—using the data in their analysis. These genes slow down caffeine metabolism, which means that compared to people who metabolise caffeine fast, those who carry the variations need to drink less coffee to reach increased levels of caffeine in their blood. Moreover, data on body fat, type 2 diabetes risk, and cardiovascular disease risk were gathered by researchers.

In the end, the researchers discovered a relationship between reduced BMI, whole body fat mass, and a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes and genetically predicted greater blood levels of caffeine.

Further investigation revealed that weight loss was responsible for 43% of the protective effect of blood levels of caffeine on type 2 diabetes. They discovered no conclusive correlation between genetically predicted caffeine levels and cardiac diseases such ischemic heart disease, heart failure, or stroke.

Caffeine and weight loss

Dr. Dana Ellis Hunnes, an assistant professor at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health who was not involved in the study and was asked how more caffeine intake may enhance weight loss, said that it stimulates thermogenesis, or heat production, in the body.

When we burn more calories than we consume, we are more likely to lose weight and fat, she said. “Heat production promotes calorie burn.”

Caffeine promotes weight reduction by accelerating the metabolism, according to Dr. Rohini Manaktala, a cardiologist at Memorial Hermann in Houston, Texas, who was not involved in the study.

“This is a dose-dependent phenomenon, meaning that higher coffee consumption results in greater fat and calorie burning, which is reflected in weight loss,” she said. “Caffeine suppresses overeating by stifling a person’s appetite and leading to calorie deficit, which helps to avoid weight gain,” the author writes.

In order to understand how, in addition to promoting weight reduction, caffeine may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, MNT also spoke with Dr. Mark Guido, an endocrinologist with Novant Health Forsyth Endocrine Consultants in Winston Salem, NC, who was not involved in the study.

He claimed that although there is “mixed” scientific evidence on the subject, caffeine may lower the incidence of type 2 diabetes by changing how the body uses glucose and insulin. Higher blood levels of caffeine, according to the study’s findings, may promote weight loss and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Limitations

Dr. Guido pointed out important flaws in the study. He explained: “It did not appear to look at elevated caffeine levels through food or drink, but rather at naturally elevated caffeine levels in those with a particular genetic propensity. It is uncertain if these results would apply to elevated caffeine levels in food or beverages.

The study, he continued, did not examine how caffeine affected people who already had type 2 diabetes; rather, it focused on lowering the chance of developing it.

The findings, according to Dr. Hunnes, “are not really causative in nature,” as they only examined the impacts of genes as opposed to the “whole person” in a randomised controlled trial.

She said, “It’s kind of like looking at in vitro, or in a test tube, issues and assuming how it will behave in a human.

In order to fully understand the clinical and health impacts of caffeine, Dr. Manaktala continued, “A more substantial randomised control trial would be desirable. Also, the study subjects were of European ancestry. Extrapolating study results to the American population as a whole becomes difficult as a result.

Genome-Wide Association Research Highlights Connections

Larsson and colleagues used Mendelian randomization to analyse data from a genome-wide association meta-analysis of 9876 people with European ancestry from six population-based investigations.

In people having the two gene variations, greater anticipated plasma caffeine levels were linked to reduced BMI, with one standard deviation more predicted plasma caffeine equating to roughly 4.8 kg/m2 in BMI (P .001).

Reports

One standard deviation higher plasma caffeine corresponded to a loss of approximately 9.5 kg in total body fat mass (P .001). The connection with fat-free body mass was not statistically significant, though (P =.17).

The FinnGen project and the DIAMANTE consortia both found genetically predicted higher plasma caffeine concentrations to be linked to a decreased risk for type 2 diabetes (odds ratio, 0.77 per standard deviation increase; P .001) and (0.84, P .001).

In total, there was an increased risk of type 2 diabetes of 0.81 (P .001) for every standard deviation increase in plasma caffeine.

Around 43% of the preventive impact of plasma caffeine on type 2 diabetes, according to Larsson and colleagues, was mediated by BMI.

They did not discover any conclusive links between the risk of any of the examined cardiovascular disease events with genetically predicted plasma caffeine concentrations (ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and stroke).

The thermogenic response to caffeine has previously been calculated as an increase in energy expenditure of approximately 100 kcal for every 100 mg consumed daily, which could lower the risk of obesity. According to the researchers, increased satiety and reduced energy intake are two more potential mechanisms.

They state that “long-term clinical research” studying how coffee consumption affects fat mass and type 2 diabetes risk are necessary. “Randomized controlled trials are needed to determine whether noncaloric caffeine-containing beverages can help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity.”

The Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, Swedish Heart Lung Foundation, and Swedish Research Council all provided funding for the study. None of the purported financial connections between Larsson, Lawrence, and Kos are pertinent.

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