December 29, 2010
Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered that a gene called POLQ is linked to an eight-fold risk of breast cancer returning. Developing drugs to block POLQ could increase survival and stop the cancer coming back, according to research published in OncoTarget.
Scientists based at the Cancer Research UK/MRC Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology at Oxford University, examined data from 279 patients diagnosed in the early 90s with early breast cancer.
Excessive POLQ was linked to markedly increased risk of cancer coming back.
The team confirmed these results with genetic data from several other studies of breast cancer patients amounting to more than 800 patients in the UK, the Netherlands and Sweden.
Professor Gillies McKenna, director of the Cancer Research UK/MRC Gray Institute at Oxford University, said: "This is important research which provides evidence that POLQ may be a very appealing target for drug development.
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"As POLQ is not switched on by most healthy tissues it is possible that if drugs could be developed to block this gene, they would make tumors more responsive to treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy but not increase the side effects caused to healthy cells.
"Drugs that block POLQ may be able to reverse the very poor survival associated with over production of this gene."
The reason why POLQ is linked to poor survival is not yet clear, but it is possible that it causes tumor cells to be resistant to treatments such as radiotherapy which are often required to treat early breast cancer patients. It is also possible that POLQ enables tumor cells to behave in a more aggressive way than cancers that do not express the gene.
In the UK in 2007 almost 45,700 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 20 to 25 per cent of all breast cancer cases are oestrogen negative - between 10,000 to 11,500 new cases a year.
Dr Lesley Walker, Cancer Research UK’s director of science information, said: "Fundamental scientific research like this to examine the genetic causes for breast cancer provides us with the foundations to develop new exciting drugs to beat this disease and increase survival in the future."
Source: Cancer Research UK
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December 28, 2010
People with type 1 diabetes must keep a careful eye on their blood glucose levels: Too much sugar can damage organs, while too little deprives the body of necessary fuel. Most patients must prick their fingers several times a day to draw blood for testing.
To minimize that pain and inconvenience, researchers at MIT’s Spectroscopy Laboratory are working on a noninvasive way to measure blood glucose levels using light.
First envisioned by Michael Feld, the late MIT professor of physics and former director of the Spectroscopy Laboratory, the technique uses Raman spectroscopy, a method that identifies chemical compounds based on the frequency of vibrations of the bonds holding the molecule together. The technique can reveal glucose levels by simply scanning a patient’s arm or finger with near-infrared light, eliminating the need to draw blood.
Spectroscopy Lab graduate students Ishan Barman and Chae-Ryon Kong are developing a small Raman spectroscopy machine, about the size of a laptop computer that could be used in a doctor’s office or a patient’s home. Such a device could one day help some of the nearly 1 million people in the United States, and millions more around the world, who suffers from type 1 diabetes.
Researchers in the Spectroscopy Lab have been developing this technology for about 15 years. One of the major obstacles they have faced is that near-infrared light penetrates only about half a millimeter below the skin, so it measures the amount of glucose in the fluid that bathes skin cells (known as interstitial fluid), not the amount in the blood. To overcome this, the team came up with an algorithm that relates the two concentrations, allowing them to predict blood glucose levels from the glucose concentration in interstitial fluid.
However, this calibration becomes more difficult immediately after the patient eats or drinks something sugary, because blood glucose soars rapidly, while it takes five to 10 minutes to see a corresponding surge in the interstitial fluid glucose levels. Therefore, interstitial fluid measurements do not give an accurate picture of what’s happening in the bloodstream.
To address that lag time, Barman and Kong developed a new calibration method, called Dynamic Concentration Correction (DCC), which incorporates the rate at which glucose diffuses from the blood into the interstitial fluid. In a study of 10 healthy volunteers, the researchers used DCC-calibrated Raman spectroscopy to significantly boost the accuracy of blood glucose measurements - an average improvement of 15 percent, and up to 30 percent in some subjects.
The researchers described the new calibration method and results in the July 15 issue of the journal Analytical Chemistry. In addition to Feld, Barman and Kong, authors include Ramachandra Rao Dasari, associate director of the Spectroscopy Lab, and former postdoctoral associate Gajendra Pratap Singh.
Barman and Kong plan to launch a clinical study to test the DCC algorithm in healthy volunteers this fall.
Funding: The National Institutes of Health and National Center for Research Resources.
Source: MIT
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More Young Girls Entering Puberty Early, US Study
Author: admin
December 27, 2010
A new study of breast development in young American girls found that more are entering puberty at age 7 and 8 than in studies done 30 years ago and the largest increase has been among white girls; however in absolute terms more black and Hispanic girls reach puberty early than whites.
You can read how lead author Dr Frank Biro, director of adolescent medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and colleagues reached these conclusions in a paper published online in Pediatrics.
Biro told the press that it wasn’t clear what was causing these girls to reach puberty earlier, but they were looking at several potential factors, including genes and environment, and how they might interact.
One of the reasons perhaps to be concerned about this trend is that previous studies have shown a link between earlier start of menarche (when a girl gets her first period) and higher risk of breast cancer.
For the study, Biro and colleagues examined data on 1,239 girls between the ages of 6 and 8 from East Harlem in New York; the greater Cincinnati metropolitan area; and the San Francisco Bay area in California.
The girls were recruited by Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Centers set up in 2003 by the National Institute of Environmental Health Science and the National Cancer Institute.
The data came from physical examinations of the girls and interviews with caregivers.
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The researchers used a well-established set of guidelines for deciding onset of puberty, including a five-stage system of classifying breast development called Tanner Breast Stages.
They found that a higher proportion of girls, and white girls in particular, were developing breasts earlier at age 7 and 8 than found in studies done 10 and 30 years ago.
The results also showed that:
10.4% of white, 23.4% of black non-Hispanic, and 14.9% of Hispanic girls had reached breast stage 2 or higher at age 7.
At age 8, these figures were: 18.3%, 42.9%, and 30.9%, respectively.
The proportion of girls who had reached breast stage 2 also varied by site and BMI (body mass index), with more obese girls reaching puberty earlier.
Biro and colleagues warned that their study was not representative of all girls in the US, and they will continue to follow this population to see what happens with the girls and what other factors might affect their development.
However, if this is a real trend, it could have important implications for public and individual health.
Biro told Reuter’s Health that girls who enter puberty earlier are not only at higher risk of breast cancer later in life, but also more likely to engage in risky behavior.
Girls who enter puberty earlier are psychologically younger than they look, but could be regarded as older, and be expected to behave accordingly, which could affect their mental and emotional development. Studies show that girls who enter puberty earlier are also at higher risk for depression.
Biro said that rising obesity rates could be a reason why girls are entering puberty earlier and like everyone, they should be encouraged to follow a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables.
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Research Shows Sugary Drinks Do Not Cause Weight Gain
Author: admin
December 26, 2010
New research from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, shows that sugary drinks, consumed in moderate quantities, do not promote weight gain, carbohydrate craving or adverse mood effects in overweight women when they do not know what they are drinking.
The study, conducted by Marie Reid, Richard Hammersley and colleagues set out to determine the long-term effects of adding a sucrose drink to the diet of overweight women (BMI 25-30), on dietary intake and mood. The results show that overweight women do not suffer adverse effects, such as weight gain or mood fluctuation, if they do not know whether or not they are drinking a sugary or artificially sweetened drink. Instead women took in fewer calories elsewhere in the diet, to balance the calories in the drinks.
These findings suggest that because it is widely believed that sugary drinks are bad and part of an unhealthy diet, people then go on to behave accordingly.
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Prof Marie Reid, Professor of Applied Psychology at Queen Margaret University concludes: "Widespread publicity about the supposed harmful effects of sugar may make such effects more likely, as believing sugar to be harmful may encourage negative emotions after eating sugary food and lead to the abstinence violation effect. In other words, knowing that you’re drinking sugary drinks, while believing that they’re harmful, might result in the derailing of a generally healthy low-fat diet".
"Sugar in moderation plays a neutral role in the balanced diet, but an emotionally charged role in the psychology of food choice," she added.
The research studied 53 overweight women and subjects were monitored eating, drinking and exercising as usual throughout the study, while completing food, mood and activity diaries. Each week subjects consumed 28 bottles of unidentified drink - one group of women was given sucrose drinks and the other aspartame (artificial sweetener).
The new research replicates a previous study conducted by Reid et al. (2007), with normal weight women. The results substantiate those of the earlier study and show that women reduced their voluntary energy intake when the sucrose drinks were added to the diet. By the final week of the study, women had reduced their total energy intake back to baseline levels.
Source: Queen Margaret University
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December 25, 2010
Researchers from of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University, Philadelphia have revealed that after a two-year comparison, a low-carb diet fares about as well as a low-fat diet with regards to weight loss, but low-carb improves cardiovascular risk factors more.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine, explained that cardiovascular risk factors, such as blood pressure and lipid (cholesterol) levels responded better with the low-carb diet. Both diets produce identical weight loss when coupled with comprehensive behavior treatment
Put simply - it appears that both diets are equally good for losing weight, but the low-carb diet protects you from potential coronary heart diseases more effectively.
The findings may come as a surprise to many people who instinctively link low-carb with worsening cardiovascular risk factors.
Three hundred and seven patients were randomly assigned to either a low-carbohydrate (n=153) or low-fat (n=154) diet with behavior treatment. Weight at two years was the primary outcome, but other effects were measured throughout the study period.
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At 3, 6 and 12 months, the participants were evaluated for:
Weight
Serum lipid concentrations
Blood pressure
Urinary ketones
Bone mineral density
Body composition
Among the participants in the two diet groups, the researchers found:
Weight - no differences at any point during the study. About 7% loss of weight at two years in both groups.
Body composition - no differences at any point during the study
Bone mineral density - no differences at any point during the study
Good cholesterol levels - double the increase among the low-carb group compared to the low-fat group at two years. 23% and 11% respectively.
Gary Foster, PhD, director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University, Philadelphia, said:
I think an important outcome from a study like this is to think about which diets fit best for which people. This study would suggest that perhaps for those with low HDL-cholesterol levels to begin with, that a low-carbohydrate approach to weigh loss may have some disadvantages.
Foster added:
"At the end of the day, behavior interventions are key. Dieters should be less concerned about what diet they follow, and more concerned with employing effective behavioral strategies, such as recording what they eat, logging their exercise, and limiting the triggers for overeating, like watching TV or eating in the car.
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Modestly High Cholesterol Levels in Young People Can Cause Heart Disease Signs By Age 45
Author: admin
December 24, 2010
Relatively young individuals with slightly abnormal cholesterol levels have a real risk of developing signs of heart disease by the time they are 45 years old, according to a new study published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
In a 20-year study, researchers gathered data on 3,258 males and females between the ages of 18 and 30 years.
They found that even with slightly abnormal cholesterol levels, individuals had a significant risk of developing signs of heart disease before the age of 45.
Cholesterol is a fat (lipid) which is produced by the liver and is crucial for normal body functioning.
Cholesterol exists in the outer layer of every cell in our body and has many functions.
It is a waxy steroid and is transported in the blood plasma of all animals. It is the main sterol synthesized by animals (including humans).
The main factor driving heart disease risk is low density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as bad cholesterol levels. The researchers found that individuals with higher LDL levels were at greater risk of accumulation of calcium in the coronary arteries - a strong predictor of heart disease.
Lead author, Mark Pletcher explained that exposure to higher-than-normal LDL during young adulthood (and even childhood) really does matter when it comes to heart disease risk at middle age - the damage persists until then.
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The researchers’ findings regarding arthrosclerosis are consistent with previous study results. Atherosclerosis is the narrowing of arteries caused by an accumulation of fatty deposits. The scientists report that atherosclerosis starts early in life, in some cases when the individual is a child.
The authors stressed early prevention studies are vital for lifelong heart health.
Unfortunately, according to Pletcher, modest rises in LDL levels are frequently ignored by young patients and their doctors.
In this latest study the cholesterol levels of the participants were measured seven times over a period of 20 years. When they reached 45 calcium levels in their coronary arteries were measured, using imaging tests.
The study revealed that:
44% of those with LDL levels over 160 (high) had calcium accumulation in their coronary arteries.
Those with high LDL levels were 5.6 times more likely to have calcium build up in their arteries, compared to those with LDL levels below 70 (low).
Individuals with LDL levels between 100 and 129 (borderline LDL) were 2.4 times as likely to have calcium accumulation in their coronary arteries compared to those with the lowest LDL levels.
In most countries, LDL levels are considered as good if they are below 100.
The authors concluded:
Nonoptimal levels of LDL and HDL cholesterol during young adulthood are independently associated with coronary atherosclerosis 2 decades later.
What are the risks of having high cholesterol?
Atherosclerosis - narrowing of the arteries.
Higher coronary heart disease risk - an abnormality of the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart.
Heart attack - occurs when the supply of blood and oxygen to an area of heart muscle is blocked, usually by a clot in a coronary artery. This causes your heart muscle to die.
Angina - chest pain or discomfort that occurs when your heart muscle does not get enough blood.
Other cardiovascular conditions - diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
Stroke and mini-stroke - occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or vein, interrupting the flow to an area of the brain.
Can also occur when a blood vessel breaks. Brain cells begin to die.
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December 23, 2010
Americans have halved their risk of dying from coronary heart disease over the last two decades by smoking less, watching their cholesterol and reducing their high blood pressure. Even though current therapies for heart disease have also contributed towards the drop, by far the biggest factor has been preventing heart disease from developing in the first place.
Coronary heart disease (CHD), or narrowing of the arteries, can eventually lead to chest pain and heart attack. Its main cause is accumulation of hard cholesterol deposits in the arteries.
You can read about this in the recent issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Researchers used data from 1980 to 2000 and found that the greatest difference in death rates was due to primary prevention: reducing risk factors among healthy individuals. Smaller impact came from secondary prevention measures such as drugs or surgery for people with heart disease.
Lead author Fiona Young, Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, England, said:
Knowledge about what has caused these large mortality declines allows us to plan effective measures to reduce disease rates in the future.
The scientists collected data on total cholesterol level, systolic blood pressure and smoking prevalence from The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a yearly national survey that represents the whole of the US population. They entered those statistics into a model that estimates changes in heart disease mortality between two points in time.
Individuals who had not yet had a heart attack accounted for 79% of the drop. The remainder came from people with symptoms of heart disease, through secondary prevention measures such as surgery or medication in addition to risk factor control.
Young said:
We were surprised by the small proportion of the mortality fall attributable to primary preventive drug interventions such as statins and blood pressure tablet".
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This was partially because so few healthy people in a group develop heart problems, even if their risk factors are not treated, she said. And of patients who are prescribed these medicines, many either don’t take them regularly or stop completely.
The results prove again that prevention, prevention, prevention is important in staying healthy, according to Paul Sorlie, PhD, chief of the epidemiology branch of the Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.
Sorlie said:
Both primary and secondary prevention are important. If you don’t have CHD, there is a lot you can do to keep healthy by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and stop smoking. If you have had a heart attack, you can impact on your future health, prevent a second heart attack, and reduce the risks of dying by working on these risk factors. Don’t give up because you have CHD.
Nieca Goldberg, MD, cardiologist and spokesperson for the American Heart Association, said:
This shows us we are seeing a reduced rate of CHD because we are getting more successful in reducing risk factors. The things we have been telling people to do for years really work. This study reminds us of that again.
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Research Shows Women Attracted To Men in Red
Author: admin
December 22, 2010
What could be as alluring as a lady in red? A gentleman in red, according to a multicultural study published recently in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.
Simply wearing the color red or being bordered by the rosy hue makes a man more attractive and sexually desirable to women, according to a series of studies by researchers at the University of Rochester and other institutions. And women are unaware of this arousing effect.
The cherry color’s charm ultimately lies in its ability to make men appear more powerful, says lead author Andrew Elliot, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester. "We found that women view men in red as higher in status, more likely to make money and more likely to climb the social ladder. And it’s this high-status judgment that leads to the attraction," Elliot says.
Why does red signal rank? The authors see both culture and biology at work. In human societies across the globe, red traditionally has been part of the regalia of the rich and powerful. Ancient China, Japan and sub-Saharan Africa all used the vibrant tint to convey prosperity and elevated status, and Ancient Rome’s most powerful citizens were literally called "the ones who wear red." Even today, the authors note, businessmen wear a red tie to indicate confidence, and celebrities and dignitaries are feted by "rolling out the red carpet."
Along with this learned association between red and status, the authors point to the biological roots of human behavior. In non-human primates, like mandrills and gelada baboons, red is an indicator of male dominance and is expressed most intensely in alpha males. Females of these species mate more often with alpha males, who in turn provide protection and resources.
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"When women see red it triggers something deep and probably biologically engrained," explains Elliot. "We say in our culture that men act like animals in the sexual realm. It looks like women may be acting like animals as well in the same sort of way."
To quantify the red effect, the paper analyzed responses from 288 female and 25 male undergraduates to photographs of men in seven different experiments. Participants were all self-identified as heterosexual or bisexual. In one color presentation, participants looked at a man’s photo framed by a border of either red or white and answered a series of questions, such as: "How attractive do you think this person is?"
Other experiments contrasted red with gray, green, or blue. Colors were precisely equated in lightness and intensity so that test results could not be attributed to differences other than hue.
In several experiments, the shirt of the man in the photographs was digitally colored either red or another color. Participants rated the pictured man’s status and attractiveness, and reported on their willingness to date, kiss, and engage in other sexual activity with the person. They also rated the man’s general likability, kindness, and extraversion.
The researchers found that the red effect was limited to status and romance: red made the man seem more powerful, attractive, and sexually desirable, but did not make the man seem more likable, kind, or sociable. The effect was consistent across cultures: undergraduates in the United States, England, Germany, and China all found men more attractive when wearing or bordered by red.
And the effect was limited to women. When males were asked to rate the attractiveness of a pictured male, color made no difference in their responses.
Across all the studies, the influence of color was totally under the radar. "We typically think of color in terms of beauty and aesthetics," say Elliot. "But color carries meaning as well and affects our perception and behavior in important ways without our awareness."
In earlier work, Elliot documented that men are more attracted to women in red. But the red effect depends on the context. Elliot and others have also shown that seeing red in competitive situations, such as IQ tests or sporting events, leads to worse performance.
The paper was coauthored by Daniela Niesta Kayer, University of Rochester; Tobias Greitemeyer, University of Innsbruck; Stephanie Lichtenfeld, University of Munich; Richard H. Gramzow, University of Southampton; Markus A. Maier, University of Munich; and Huijun Liu, Tainjin Medical University.
The research was funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and an Excellence Guest Professorship at the University of Munich.
Source: University of Rochester
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December 21, 2010
Standard therapeutic techniques decrease cravings of cigarette smokers by regulating activity in two separate but related areas of the brain, a new study led by a Yale University researcher shows.
Smokers who are taught cognitive strategies, such as thinking about the long-term consequences of smoking, show increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with cognitive control and rational thought. They also show decreased activity in areas of the striatum, an area of the brain associated with drug craving and reward-seeking behavior, according to the paper published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"This shows that smokers can indeed control their cravings, they just need to be told how to do it," said Hedy Kober, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and lead author of the paper.
Cravings are the triggers that often lead to relapse in a host of addictions, which carry a staggering economic and social cost. Cigarette smoking alone is responsible for over 400,000 deaths per year in the U.S. (more than all illicit drugs and alcohol combined). Some experts predict that substance abusers should show impairments in areas of the prefrontal cortex, which among other functions helps control emotion. But in smokers at least, this does not appear to be the case. This area of the brain showed increased activity - and smokers reported less intense cravings - when using cognitive strategies.
Cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be an effective tool in treating a variety of mental health disorders, including substance use disorders. The new study shows why this approach is effective, Kober said.
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"We do not see any impairment in the prefrontal cortex, which suggests the brain is able, when prompted, to recruit control regions to reduce cravings," Kober said.
Kober and colleagues are investigating whether they can replicate the findings in subjects who use other types of drugs.
The senior author of the paper is Kevin Ochsner of Columbia University. Researchers from Princeton University, the University of Michigan, and the New York State Psychiatric Institute also contributed to the paper. The work was funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse.
Source: Yale University
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Study shows combination Naltrexone and Bupropion for Obesity Leads to Substantial Reductions in Bodyweight
Author: admin
December 20, 2010
Combination treatment for obesity using the drugs naltrexone and bupropion, plus diet and exercise, helps reduce bodyweight by a mean of 5% or more over a year, depending on the dosage used. The findings of the COR-I study are reported in an Article Online First and in an upcoming Lancet, written by Professor Frank L Greenway, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, Baton Rouge, LA, USA, and colleagues.
Naltrexone and bupropion combination treatment was developed to produce complementary actions in the body’s central nervous system (CNS) which regulate bodyweight. In this randomised controlled trial, men and women aged 18-65 years with a body-mass index (BMI) of 30-45 kg/m2 and uncomplicated obesity, or BMI 27-45 kg/m2 with abnormal blood fats or high blood pressure, were enrolled from 34 sites in the USA.
Participants were prescribed a diet of moderately-reduced calories and exercise, plus one of three treatment regiments: sustained release (SR) naltrexone 32mg per day plus SR bupropion 360 mg per day combined in fixed dose tablets (NB32 group); SR naltexone 16mg per day plus SR bupropion 360 mg per day combined in fixed dose tablets (NB16 group); or matching placebo. All three groups received treatment twice daily for 56 weeks.
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A total of 1742 patients were randomised, but only 50% of them completed all 56 weeks of treatment (NB32-296 patients; NB16-284; placebo 290). Of the original 1742 enrolled, 1453 (83%) made the final analysis (NB32:471, NB16: 471, placebo: 511). The mean weight of the patients was around 100kg before the study. The mean weight loss at 56 weeks was 1.4kg in the placebo group, compared with 4.9kg in the NB16 group and 6.1kg in the NB32 group.
The proportions of patients achieving a weight loss of 5.0% or more also varied between groups. Almost half (48%) achieved this in the NB32 group, compared with 39% in the NB16 group and 16% in the placebo group. More patients in the NB32 group (25%) and NB16 group (20%) lost more than 10% of their bodyweight compared with the placebo group (7%)Nausea occurred in more than a quarter of patients in both NB groups, but in only 5% of placebo-treated patients. Headache, constipation, dizziness, vomiting, and dry mouth were also more frequent in both NB groups than in the placebo group. Most of these adverse events were, however, mild to moderate in severity and transient.
The authors note that although the study did include men, 85% of each group was comprised of women, who themselves were mainly middle-aged and white. They also note that the exact effect of the exercise part of the regimen remains unknown as data for this was not recorded; and they add this combination therapy needs to be trialed head-to-head against other therapies for comparisons of efficacy.
The authors add that a weight loss of 5 to 10% improves blood sugar control, and reduces the risk of abnormal blood fats and high blood pressure, and could reduce mortality. They say:
"This combination improves control of eating and response to food cravings. Since many overweight adults report food cravings to be an important barrier to their ability to adhere to a diet, these actions could add to the usefulness of naltrexone plus bupropion in the treatment of obesity.
They conclude:
Although lifestyle modification is first-line therapy for obesity, adherence to this intervention is poor. The combination of naltrexone plus bupropion could be a useful addition to the current range of medications that facilitate adherence to lifestyle modification and produce clinically meaningful weight loss for treatment of obesity and obesity-related disorders.
In an accompanying Comment, Professor Arne Astrup, Department of Human Nutrition, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, points out that after 56 weeks, blood pressure was not reduced as much as would normally be seen with a 5-kg weight loss, and the reduction was less than that in the placebo group. He says:
Additionally, the combination treatment did not reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol more than did placebo. The investigators concluded that the combination improved several cardiometabolic risk factors; but how relevant are improvements in plasma triglycerides, HDL (good) cholesterol, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein when the reductions in blood pressure and LDL cholesterol that normally occur with weight loss are absent?…more data are needed to get a better overall assessment of cardiovascular risk of this otherwise promising combination therapy for obesity.
Source: The Lancet
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