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ENDO
2002:
New Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome Research Highlighted at
Endocrine Society Annual Meeting
Items
6-12
San
Francisco, CA, June 20, 2002 –
New research presented in a press conference at ENDO 2002, the 84th
Annual Meeting of The Endocrine Society, may provide new treatments
for diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome. Researchers presented
their findings on novel treatments for diabetes, such as oral insulin
spray and a synthetic hormone; the effects of high-fat diet for obese
patients; and hormone therapy for metabolic syndrome. Additionally,
new research was presented on the role of ghrelin-a ‘hunger
hormone’-in regulating body weight.
Item
#6
Ghrelin,
A Hunger Hormone’ Linked to Long-Term Body Weight Regulation
Hyperghrelinemia
may contribute to the severe obesity
Obesity,
a disease that has been linked to several other serious health
complications such as heart disease and diabetes, is one of the
fastest growing epidemics in the world. Dr. David Cummings, a
researcher at the University of Washington and Veterans Affairs
Puget Sound Health Care System, presented his findings on ghrelin, a
recently discovered ‘hunger hormone’ that has been linked to
long-term body weight regulation, during the press conference.
Ghrelin has been shown to stimulate hunger and short-term food
intake in humans. Dr. Cummings and his colleagues demonstrated that
ghrelin levels rise shortly before a meal and fall shortly after a
meal. Additionally, conditions of negative energy balance, such as
low-calorie diets, chronic exercise, cancer anorexia, cardiac
cachexia and anorexia nervosa, cause ghrelin levels to increase.
Most recently, Dr. Cummings and his colleagues showed that gastric
bypass surgery suppresses ghrelin levels in patients.
“Research
has shown that ghrelin probably plays a compensatory, rather than
causal role in common obesity,” explained Dr. Cummings during the
press conference. “However, we find that people with Prader-Willi
syndrome, which is the most common form of syndromic obesity,
experience significantly increased ghrelin levels. As a result,
hyperghrelinemia may contribute to the severe obesity that is
associated with Prader-Willi syndrome. Our findings suggest a
physiologic role for ghrelin in both the short- and long-term
regulation of human appetite and body weight.”
ENDO 2002
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