FEBRUARY OBESITY NEWS: OBESITY AND METABOLISM

February 4, 2001 -- A complex web of genetics and environment affects our brain chemistry and hormones and ultimately determines whether we will be fat, thin or somewhere in between. As scientists continue to unravel the human genome, we gain a better knowledge of exactly how the elements mix to determine our metabolic rate, and how abnormalities in weight regulation lead to obesity related diseases.

In this month's OBESITY MEDS AND RESEARCH NEWS we take a look at recent studies which explain how genetic and environmental factors affect our metabolic rate. Here's a sneak peak at just a few of the stories we have on-tap this month:

Inflammation and obesity. Obesity can result in many comorbidities such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and high cholesterol, all of which are associated with inflammation. Recent research has found that this obesity-related inflammation is associated with elevated levels of c-reactive peptide (CRP). But other factors such as smoking, use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and drinking can also cause a chronic inflammatory state. This month OMR reports on a "chicken or the egg" study which reveals whether obesity by itself, or related comorbidities and lifestyle factors are mainly to blame. We will also report on a second study that looks at the effect of elevated inflammatory cytokine levels on glucose and lipid metabolism in obese patients.

Free radicals and heart disease. It is well known that obese individuals are at a higher risk of heart disease than those who are thinner. This increased risk is partially caused by elevated free radical levels which eventually promote plaque build up in arteries, and blockage to the heart. In a study published this month, investigators have pinpointed one of the mechanisms lead to this risk, and a
treatment that can decrease free radical levels by 50 percent. Find out what it is this month.

Obesity and diabetes. Although the relationship between obesity and type-2 diabetes has always been well known, the mechanism by which it occurs is still unclear. But over the past few months new research has given us new information about the genetic and molecular basis of the relationship. In the December/January issue of OMR we reported the cloning of a new gene that is a genetic marker for late childhood obesity onset and type-2 diabetes. And this month we report the discovery of another gene that appears to impair the actions of insulin on peripheral tissues. In February OMR summarizes the study, and tells you what this could mean for the development of better diabetes drugs.

Other stories to be covered in this month's OMR include the connection between dopamine levels and obesity, the effect of pregnancy weight gain on long-term body weight, and the latest drug studies and drug development news.

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