The heavier you are the slimmer your chances of receiving hospice care
A new study from the University of Michigan has found that the heavier a person is, the less likely they are to receive a place at a hospice or die at home. The researchers analysed data from 5,677 elderly people taking part in a long-term health study. They found that people with a higher BMI were not only less likely to use a hospice, but when they did they were in it for less time than their normal weight counterparts. The findings have become pertinent as the increasingly overweight American population ages.
The study itself did not analyse the reasons why people with obesity received less hospice care, but the researchers did put forward several factors. Normally, it takes a larger team to care for an overweight individual due to the co-morbidities associated with increased weight, furthermore obesity may mask the changes that signpost to clinicians when a person should begin to receive hospice care. For example, a major change in body weight is generally more noticeable in leaner individuals, cachexia (‘wasting away’) is a common sign seen towards the end of a person’s life. The researchers also suggest that there is a bias against people who are overweight amongst healthcare professionals, however they were not able to measure this phenomenon during their study, this is something they are hoping will be investigated in the future.
Read MoreT2DM prevented in 80% of at-risk patients
A team from Imperial College London have repurposed the drug liraglutide and have found that it can help to prevent the progression of ‘prediabetes’ to diabetes. Prediabetes itself is characterised by slightly increased blood sugar levels and can often lead to T2DM, it is curable with exercise and a healthier diet, but once it progresses to diabetes it is significantly harder to treat. Liraglutide is already used to treat obesity and diabetes – it works by activating the areas of the brain that control appetite and eating – however researchers found that when combined with diet and exercise it can help prevent progression to diabetes in those that are prediabetic.
The study itself included 2,254 obese adults across 27 countries; they were split into two groups, with one group administered liraglutide via injection, alongside diet and exercise, whilst the other group did not receive any medication. They found that the patients given liraglutide were 80% less likely to develop diabetes than those in the placebo group. The drug was also linked to greater sustained weight loss over the course of three years. The researchers are particularly excited at the fact that treatment with liraglutide could save the healthcare system millions by preventing diabetes developing in many people.
Read MoreKeeping an eye out for medications that can cause weight gain
In a study published in Gastroenterology researchers have urged physicians to be mindful of drugs that can increase weight gain in patients that are already obese. This must be done by evaluating the potential side effects of medications that are prescribed to this group of patients and familiarising themselves with the alternatives that may limit weight gain. Medications such as steroids or contraceptive pills are commonly given to obese patients; however, these drugs may sometimes exacerbate the weight problems of the individuals.
The researchers want to highlight that each practitioner has a goal in mind, for example, a cardiologist may want to lower blood pressure, however the drug that they prescribe may in turn affect weight. Therefore, physicians must make themselves aware of the interactions between drugs and the potential alternatives that they may be able to use. In addition to this, there are some drugs that can minimise the bad effects of others; however this becomes difficult as patients get prescribed more and more medications. In summary, the researchers are hoping that their study will help physicians pay more attention to the overall side effects that medication has on individual patients.
Read MoreGenetic link between body shape and heart disease
A study originating from Massachusetts General Hospital has found that a pattern of gene variants associated with certain body shapes increases the risk of T2DM as well as heart disease. This ‘apple-shape’ describes when weight is commonly deposited around the abdomen, rather than the hips and thighs. The researchers were aiming to discover whether a genetic predisposition to abdominal adiposity was associated with the risk of T2DM and coronary heart disease, they concluded that it certainly does.
Due to the many factors that contribute to the development of heart disease the researchers had to employ a method called Mendelian randomisation, which measures whether an inherited gene variant can cause the development of a disease. They used previous research which identified 48 different gene variants as responsible for abdominal adiposity and developed a genetic risk score. They combined this with data from the UK Biobank to determine any association. Whilst they found an association between genetic predisposition to abdominal adiposity and heart disease, they did not find any between lifestyle factors and genetic risk score. This therefore confirmed that the gene variants responsible for body shape were associated with cardiometabolic risk. The results may allow physicians to use body shape as a predictor for heart disease and T2DM in the future, however further research must be undertaken to identify any other gene variants that may be responsible.
Read MoreChildhood weight is 35-40% inherited
A new study from the University of Sussex has found that 35-40% of a child’s BMI is inherited from their parents. For obese children this proportion rises to approximately 55-60%. The research used data from 100,000 children and their parents across the globe and found that intergenerational transmission of BMI is around 0.2, or 20% each from the mother and father. Interestingly, the results were consistent across the different countries, with varying lifestyle factors coming into play, suggesting that this is not just an isolated phenomenon.
The study also found that the effect was more pronounced when a child was heavier. The ‘parental effect’ was higher in more obese children; for thin children, the association is likely to be 10% each from the mother and father, for the heavier child this could go up to 30%. The results highlight that obesity is not only due to lifestyle factors but also genetic and family factors, and therefore it may be wise to monitor the weight of children especially if their parents are overweight or obese.
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