Metformin during pregnancy affects the brain development in offspring mice, study finds
With the rise in gestational diabetes and metabolic disorders during pregnancy, metformin is also being prescribed more frequently. Although it is known that the oral antidiabetic agent can cross the placental barrier, the impacts on the brain development of the child are largely unknown. An interdisciplinary research team from the German Institute of Human Nutrition […]
Metabolic diseases may be driven by gut microbiome, loss of ovarian hormones
The gut microbiome interacts with the loss of female sex hormones to exacerbate metabolic disease, including weight gain, fat in the liver and the expression of genes linked with inflammation, researchers found in a new rodent study. The findings, published in the journal Gut Microbes, may shed light on why women are at significantly greater […]
Males born to obese mothers more likely to suffer health issues as adults
Males born to obese women are more likely to be overweight at birth and develop metabolic complications in later life, including liver disease and diabetes. The way that male sex hormones activate pathways in the developing liver is partly to blame. That’s the finding from a new study led by University of South Australia (UniSA) […]
Clinical Challenges: Test Your Knowledge on NASH/MASH
A recent MedPage Today “Clinical Challenges” series on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH; formerly nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH) tackled the need to raise patient/physician awareness of the increasing prevalence of the liver disease, lifestyle approaches to managing affected patients of all ages, and promising treatments in the pipeline. The following is a three-question quiz to test […]
Smoking-Related Metabolic Changes Partly Drive Type 2 Diabetes Risk
HAMBURG, Germany — Smokers were more likely to have a specific metabolic signature that mediated their risk for developing type 2 diabetes, a researcher reported here. In a study of nearly 94,000 people in the U.K. Biobank, smoking was tied with a 73% higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes compared with no smoking (HR […]
Alternative cellular ‘fuels’ boost immunity
A metabolic by-product that is more prevalent during fasting may supercharge immune cells as they fight infection and disease, reports an early stage study by Van Andel Institute scientists and collaborators. The findings, published today in Immunity, may pave the way for future personalized dietary recommendations to augment treatments for infection, cancer and other diseases. […]
Eat right, live longer: Could a moderate protein diet be the coveted elixir of youth? Researchers decode the correlation between dietary protein intake and improved metabolic health in mice
Consuming nutritious food can improve metabolic health and delay aging. But what are the appropriate quantities of dietary macronutrients that can help achieve this? To answer this, researchers from Japan fed isocaloric diets with varying amounts of protein to young and middle-aged male mice. They found that the mice were metabolically healthier when fed moderate-protein […]
Arterial stiffness may cause metabolic syndrome in adolescents via an increase in fasting insulin and LDL cholesterol
Arterial stiffness may be a novel risk factor for metabolic syndrome in teens, a paper published in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology concludes. The study was conducted in collaboration between the University of Bristol in the UK, the University of Exeter in the UK, and the University of Eastern Finland. The World […]
Study shows how to prevent a high-fat diet from throwing metabolism out of whack: Biologists discover removing a protein inhibitor restores metabolic balance
Eating lots of fats increases the risk of metabolic disorders, but the mechanisms behind the problem have not been well understood. Now, University of California, Irvine biologists have made a key finding about how to ward off harmful effects caused by a high-fat diet. Their study appears in Nature Communications. The UC Irvine research centered […]
School garden-based interventions can improve blood sugar, reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol in children
School garden-based interventions can improve metabolic parameters such as blood sugar and cholesterol in children, according to a new study from UTHealth Houston. A cluster randomized controlled trial conducted by researchers with UTHealth Houston School of Public Health and The University of Texas at Austin found that Texas Sprouts — a gardening, nutrition, and cooking […]