Alterations in the gene coding for the NRF2 protein after menopause may lead to a defective response to oxidative stress — an imbalance between the production of harmful free radicals and the body’s antioxidant defenses — and higher blood levels of glucose, while also increasing the risk for…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a vast government bureaucracy, employs about 17,500 people and had a budget of $5.7 billion in 2019. Yet even with its enormous resources, the FDA these days relies more and more on patients to…
Eight genetic variants at the TBX15 gene likely impact a person’s risk of obesity or osteoporosis, with five of the variants increasing the likelihood of having excess weight but also potentially offering protection against osteoporosis, a condition that…
The gleaming new Dutch headquarters of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), fronting Domenico Scarlattilaan in Amsterdam’s suburban Zuidas business district, finally opened for business last month — just over two years after the European Union decided to relocate the EMA to the Netherlands in the wake of Brexit.
People with a genetic predisposition for more abdominal fat may be at a greater risk of having a stroke, a study found. However, the researchers also report that increased blood sugar levels, considered a risk factor for the development of stroke, appear not to influence its occurrence. Their study,…
A specific mutation in the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) gene is associated with higher risk of obesity, according to a study. The study, “Association between MC4R rs17782313 genotype and obesity: a meta-analysis,” was published in the journal Gene. While it is well known that diet and physical inactivity…
Soybean oil, the most consumed cooking oil in the U.S., induces genetic changes in the hypothalamus — the brain region controlling appetite and metabolism — a study in mice suggests. The findings indicate that, besides its effects on obesity, this oil affects the brain control…
Off-label use of the stimulant methylphenidate in children with genetic obesity was associated with a lower body mass index (BMI) and decreased appetite after nearly one year of treatment, a study reports. These changes are clinically meaningful among patients who would otherwise experience rapid weight gain and subsequent complications over time,…
People’s body mass index (BMI) during their early 20s is a much better predictor of weight gain and obesity in the future than modern genetic risk scores, a study found. The researchers recommended caution to doctors basing medical advice on genetic risk data, and to consumers…
Fauna Bio and Novo Nordisk are collaborating to find novel treatments for obesity by studying the genes and pathways that increase metabolism in hibernating mammals. The purpose of this joint research is to understand the cellular physiology of hibernating animals in periods when they are metabolically active. Over…
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