News
How gastric bypass rapidly reverses diabetes symptoms
A report in the September Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press, offers new evidence to explain why those who undergo gastric bypass surgery often show greater control of their diabetes symptoms within days. It also helps to explain why lap-band surgery doesn't offer the same instant gratification. By studying mice that have undergone both procedures, the researchers show that changes in the intestine are the key.
Impact of school-based programs
According to recent evidence school-based intervention programmes provide the best results for reducing prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity if they are performed with involvement of stakeholders and political support. In this context physical activity education in schools, reducing television viewing and nutritional education are examples of interventions that have been successful. Reducing the consumption of sugar-added drinks has significant beneficial effects on weight development.
Issues on cholesterol: Diet, statins and genetics
Conversely, lifestyle, diabetes, dyslipidemia, cigarette smoking and hypertension contribute to most of the population-attributable risk in the large, international INTERHEART study of acute myocardial infarction (heart attacks). The identification of single gene disorders may pave the way to a better understanding of complex metabolic pathways. Understanding the genes that regulate high density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism may lead to novel therapeutic approaches. This has been emphasized by two therapeutic approaches for the treatment of CAD:
- The infusion of apo AI containing proteoliposomes, using wild-type or a mutant form of apo AI, apo AIMilano, in patients with acute coronary syndromes;
- The long-term treatment of subjects with low HDL-C with the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor Torcertapib. While Torcetrapib proved to have off-target toxic effects, two other CETP inhibitors (Anacetrapib and Delcetrapib) are being tested clinically. Experimentally, however, CETP inhibitors may not reduce atherosclerosis
Novel therapeutic approaches using agonists of the LxR/RxR pathway to up-regulate the ABCA1 transporter, or the transcriptional regulation of apo AI, are being explored.