With the strong evidence of obesity as the causal factor in 14 multiple diseases, new approaches to manage and prevent obesity are necessary. Hence, genetic research to further understanding of obesity can help future management and treatment of obesity.
A new study, led by Professor Elina Hyppönen from UniSA's Australian Centre for Precision Health, presents the strongest evidence yet of a causal relationship between obesity and a wide range of serious conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and neurological, musculoskeletal and respiratory afflictions.
T Cells Protect Against Obesity
T follicular helper (TFH) cells shield mice from obesity by promoting the production of immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies by B cells in the gut.
Advertisement
‘There is a strong causal link between obesity and 14 major diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and neurological, musculoskeletal, and respiratory afflictions.’
Read More..
Tweet it Now
Read More..
The study, published in Lancet Digital Health, draws data from the UK Biobank - a research database holding health and genetic information from half a million volunteers - to analyse associations between body mass index (BMI) and a range of disease outcomes in 337,536 people.
"In this study we used a genetic approach to seek evidence for true health effects associated with higher body mass index, which assesses our weight against our height and is commonly used to measure obesity," Prof Hyppönen says.
![Gut Bacteria in Mice Prevent Obesity: Study]( "Gut Bacteria in Mice Prevent Obesity: Study")
A specific class of bacteria from the gut prevent mice from becoming obese, suggesting these same microbes may similarly control weight in people, reveals a new research.
Previous research has suggested that high BMI is associated with increased risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, but due to the difficulty of conducting clinical trials related to obesity, it has been hard to prove causation.
Prof Hyppönen and her team developed a multi-dimensional analysis in which genetic data was subjected to a suite of stringent examinations in order to deliver high confidence of causality.
"We compared evidence from five different statistical approaches to establish how strong the evidence for causal effect actually is," she says.
"Fully consistent evidence across all approaches was seen for 14 different diseases, and for 26 different diseases evidence was obtained by at least for four of the five methods used.
"What increases the confidence that these associations are largely reflective of real effects is the fact that those effects which came across with consistent evidence are also ones for which we have previous clinical evidence."
One key finding from the study was the extent to which it confirms existing concerns over the link between obesity and diabetes, with many of the diseases identified as related to high BMI known to be commonly associated with poorly controlled diabetes.
"For example, we saw evidence for effects on peripheral nerve disorders, chronic leg and foot ulcers, and even gangrene and kidney failure, which are all known to be diabetic complications. This suggests a key aspect to reduce comorbidity risk in obesity is careful monitoring of blood sugar and effective control of diabetes and its complications," Prof Hyppönen says.
The study also highlights the importance of genetic research to further our understanding of the role genes play in obesity, and the insights it can provide for the future management and treatment of obesity.
"There is an urgent need to find new approaches to manage and prevent obesity," Prof Hyppönen says.
"We know that obesity has a strong genetic basis, which can make weight management very difficult to some of us and the same strategies for prevention may also not work for all. Genetic studies are giving us deeper insights into the biological pathways which drive obesity, and hopefully these types of studies will also provide us with new strategies for prevention."
Source: Eurekalert
Gut Bacteria in Mice Prevent Obesity: Study
A specific class of bacteria from the gut prevent mice from becoming obese, suggesting these same microbes may similarly control weight in people, reveals a new research.
Advertisement
Previous research has suggested that high BMI is associated with increased risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, but due to the difficulty of conducting clinical trials related to obesity, it has been hard to prove causation.
Prof Hyppönen and her team developed a multi-dimensional analysis in which genetic data was subjected to a suite of stringent examinations in order to deliver high confidence of causality.
"We compared evidence from five different statistical approaches to establish how strong the evidence for causal effect actually is," she says.
"Fully consistent evidence across all approaches was seen for 14 different diseases, and for 26 different diseases evidence was obtained by at least for four of the five methods used.
"What increases the confidence that these associations are largely reflective of real effects is the fact that those effects which came across with consistent evidence are also ones for which we have previous clinical evidence."
One key finding from the study was the extent to which it confirms existing concerns over the link between obesity and diabetes, with many of the diseases identified as related to high BMI known to be commonly associated with poorly controlled diabetes.
"For example, we saw evidence for effects on peripheral nerve disorders, chronic leg and foot ulcers, and even gangrene and kidney failure, which are all known to be diabetic complications. This suggests a key aspect to reduce comorbidity risk in obesity is careful monitoring of blood sugar and effective control of diabetes and its complications," Prof Hyppönen says.
The study also highlights the importance of genetic research to further our understanding of the role genes play in obesity, and the insights it can provide for the future management and treatment of obesity.
"There is an urgent need to find new approaches to manage and prevent obesity," Prof Hyppönen says.
"We know that obesity has a strong genetic basis, which can make weight management very difficult to some of us and the same strategies for prevention may also not work for all. Genetic studies are giving us deeper insights into the biological pathways which drive obesity, and hopefully these types of studies will also provide us with new strategies for prevention."
Source: Eurekalert
Waist Size is an Undervalued Factor in Identifying Obesity
People who are considered to be of normal weight according to body mass index (BMI), but have bigger waistlines could unknowingly be at high risk for obesity-related health issues.
Advertisement
 Youngsters on Five or More Hours of Smartphone Use Have a Risk of ObesitySmartphone addiction daily for five or more hours has a decline of healthy lifestyle activities leading to overweight and risk for heart disease. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Reading
Latest Obesity News
Tackling obesity in children: Interventions focusing on eating a healthy diet and practicing regular exercise alone won't prevent childhood obesity.
Moms who eat unhealthy foods and are obese during pregnancy are more likely to deliver kids who are at increased risk of becoming obese adults.
Choice-based mobile food pantry program has the potential to reduce household food insecurity, improve diet quality, and tackle obesity among children.
New study attempts to identify bacterial indicator species of obesity and metabolic syndrome in adult and pediatric patients.
A new therapeutic approach using natural peptides may tackle the root cause of obesity-related conditions by preventing systemic inflammation.