Tag Archive: obese

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Experimental diet drug keeps weight off for 2 years

December 14th, 2011 / tags:, , , , , , , / categories: Uncategorized /

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – An experimental diet drug seems to help some obese people shed pounds, and keep them off for two years, researchers report.

The drug, which will be called Qnexa if it reaches the market, is a combination of the appetite suppressant phentermine and the anti-seizure drug topiramate.

So far, it’s had a bumpy road to approval. Last year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected Qnexa, citing safety concerns — including elevated heart rate in some users and the potential for birth defects if pregnant women used the drug.

But last month, the FDA accepted a new application from Qnexa maker Vivus Inc., which is now seeking approval for the drug to be marketed with a warning that it shouldn’t be used by women of childbearing age.

The new study, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is an extension of an earlier clinical trial. That one found that Qnexa, added to lifestyle changes, helped obese adults lose more weight over one year, versus placebo pills.

The current study suggests that the benefit lasts for two years, according to researchers led by Dr. W. Timothy Garvey of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

By the end of two years, the 449 men and women randomly assigned to take Qnexa had lost about 10 percent of their starting weight, on average.

That compared with a two percent decline among 227 people given a placebo.

Qnexa users also showed a decline in obesity-related health problems. On average, their blood sugar and insulin levels dipped, and they were less likely than placebo users to develop diabetes.

Almost four percent of the placebo group developed diabetes per year. By comparison, just under two percent of people on a lower Qnexa dose developed diabetes each year, as did one percent of those on a higher dose.

Whether the diet drug will actually become available is still up in the air.

Qnexa and two other weight-loss drugs — Arena Pharmaceuticals’ lorcaserin and Orexigen Therapeutics’ Contrave — were all rejected by the FDA in the past year over potential safety concerns.

All three companies, though, are still working on addressing the FDA’s concerns to try to win approval.

Drugmakers have struggled for years to develop weight-loss drugs that are both effective and safe.

Back in 1997, the infamous diet drug “fen-phen” was pulled from the market after reports of fatal heart-valve problems in some users. Another diet pill, Meridia, was pulled from the U.S. market last year after being linked to heart problems.

In this latest Qnexa trial, the most common side effects were upper respiratory infections, constipation, dry mouth and tingling sensations. Over two years, 3 percent of placebo users and about 4.5 percent of Qnexa users dropped out of the trial because of side effects.

For now, the drug options are few for obese people who fail to lose weight through diet changes and exercise alone.

The only drug approved for long-term use is orlistat (Xenical), which is also available as a lower-dose, over-the-counter version called Alli. But Xenical has its issues as well, including side effects of gas, uncontrolled bowel movements, and cases of serious liver problems.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/uqZTQe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online December 7, 2011.

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/experimental-diet-drug-keeps-weight-off-2-years-212658277.html

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Overweight teens want to lose weight, going about it the wrong way

December 13th, 2011 / tags:, , , , , / categories: Uncategorized /

ScienceDaily (Nov. 1, 2011) — About 14 percent of Philadelphia’s high school students are considered overweight, and while a myriad of research has been published on what schools, communities and parents can do to help curb these rates, very little information exists on what the teens themselves are doing to lose weight.

Research led by public health doctoral candidate Clare Lenhart has found that while most obese teens in Philadelphia report wanting to lose weight, their actions are more of a hindrance than a help.

In an analysis of findings from the Philadelphia Youth Risk Behavioral Survey, Lenhart and colleagues organized data from nearly 44,000 adolescents into different types of health behaviors, such as: recent smoking; amount of weekly physical activity; daily soda consumption; and hours per day playing video games.

While most of the obese teens reported trying to lose weight (about 75 percent), this group was also more likely to report smoking. In addition, females trying to lose weight were more likely to report participating in 60 minutes or more of physical activity per day; however, data showed that these females were also prone to consume soda on a daily basis — regular, not diet. Males who were trying to lose weight were more likely to report having no days of physical activity, and also reported playing more than three hours of video games per day.

“From a health education standpoint, finding out that three-quarters of students who are obese want to lose weight is exactly what we want,” said Lenhart. “But the behavior they’re engaging in is puzzling; it’s counterproductive to what they’re trying to do.”

While the researchers aren’t sure whether teens realize this behavior is counterproductive, Lenhart suggests there could be a lack of information on the teens’ part. “For example, among the girls who are exercising, they may not realize that one soda could undo that 30-minute walk they just took.”

She’s encouraged that so many teens appear to be motivated to lose weight, and says that a more intensive line of questioning from health care providers could help.

“If a child is going to their pediatrician, and he asks them if they’re losing weight, an appropriate follow up question might be, ‘How are you doing that?’” said Lenhart. “It could help guide those teens to more productive weight loss activities.”

The research was presented at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association. Other study authors are Dawn Eichen of Temple’s Department of Psychology, Judith Gold of Temple’s Department of Public Health and Brian Daly of Drexel University’s Department of Psychology. Funding was provided by a Center for Disease Control ARREST grant to the School District of Philadelphia.

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Article source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111101095310.htm

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Mediterranean diet and exercise can reduce sleep apnea symptoms

December 12th, 2011 / tags:, , , , , , , , , / categories: Uncategorized /

ScienceDaily (Nov. 2, 2011) — Eating a Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity can help to improve some of the symptoms of sleep apnea, according to new research. The study, which is published online in the European Respiratory Journal, looked at the impact a Mediterranean diet can have on obese people with sleep apnea, compared to those on a prudent diet.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) causes frequent pauses of breathing to occur during sleep, which disrupts a person’s normal sleeping pattern. It is one of the most prevalent sleep-related breathing disorders with approximately 2-4% of the adult population experiencing the condition. This percentage increases up to 20-40% with obesity, and weight loss is often an essential part of the recommended treatment plan.

The researchers, from the University of Crete in Greece, examined 40 obese patients suffering from OSAS. Twenty patients were given a prudent diet to follow, while the other 20 followed a Mediterranean diet. Both groups were also encouraged to increase their physical activity, mainly involving walking for at least 30 minutes each day.

In both groups, the patients also received continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy which involves wearing a mask that generates an air stream, keeping the upper airway open during sleep.

The researchers monitored the patients during a sleep study, known as polysomnography. This involved monitoring several markers for OSAS, including electrical activity in the brain, eye movements and snoring. The patients were examined at the start of the study and again 6 months later.

The results showed that people following the Mediterranean diet had a reduced number of disturbances, known as apneas, during the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep, which usually accounts for approximately 25% of total sleep during the night.

The findings also revealed that people following the Mediterranean diet also showed a greater adherence to the calorie restricted diet, an increase in physical activity and a greater decrease in abdominal fat.

The results of this small sample did show an improvement during one stage of sleep for people with sleep apnea, however it did not show an overall improvement in severity of the condition. The authors suggest that further studies in a larger sample are required to fully understand the benefits of this diet.

Christopher Papandreou, lead author for the research, said: “This is the first study examining the impact of the Mediterranean diet in combination with physical activity on OSAS via changes in the human body. Our results showed that the number of disturbances during REM sleep was reduced more in the Mediterranean diet group than the other group. Recent reports have related an increase in disturbances during REM sleep with the risk of developing significant systemic consequences like diabetes type II. However, its clinical significance remains unclear. Finally, more studies are needed to examine the effect of the above diet on this sleep-related breathing disorder taking into account its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.”

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Journal Reference:

  1. C. Papandreou, S. E. Schiza, I. Bouloukaki, C. M. Hatzis, A. G. Kafatos, N. M. Siafakas, N. E. Tzanakis. Effect of mediterranean diet vs prudent diet combined with physical activity on OSAS: a randomised trial. European Respiratory Journal, 2011; DOI: 10.1183/09031936.00103411

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Article source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102093043.htm

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