Active clinical trials for "Obesity"

This project will assess the effectiveness of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in controlling asthma symptoms among obese asthmatics, and will assess if a person's genes influence response to treatment (personalized medicine). This project may improve our ability to treat asthma and our understanding of the link between obesity and asthma.

Hershey Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh are doing a research study to help meet the needs of the adult population at risk for diabetes and heart disease. This study will provide a web-based program that aims to help participants to develop healthier eating habits, lose weight and become more physically active. The Internet-based materials will teach participants about healthy eating and physical activity and will ask them to incorporate the information they learn into their daily lives. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of online lifestyle change programs to promote weight loss, healthy eating and physical activity patterns, in the interest of reducing risk for and adverse outcomes of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Portion-controlled meal replacements have been shown to be an effective weight control strategy in overweight and obese individuals. Thus, the investigators plan to evaluate the effect of Medifast's 5 & 1 program compared to an food-based diet plan of equal calories on the following indices: weight loss and maintenance of weight loss, satiety during weight loss, changes in biochemical markers of inflammation and oxidative stress following weight loss, and compliance and retention rates.

The purpose of this clinical trial is to find out how effective low dose oral naltrexone is on reducing body weight when compared to placebo in women with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.

Regulation of endogenous glucose production (EGP) and insulin secretion are major actions of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Determining whether alterations in GLP-1 may contribute to abnormal EGP and insulin secretion in people with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) was the objective of the current study. The investigators hypothesized that defects in GLP-1 may explain the inappropriate basal EGP and diminished insulin secretion in IFG, and, furthermore, that by increasing circulating GLP-1 levels (using a new medicine called "sitagliptin") the investigators could reverse these defects.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of 3 behavioral weight loss programs- Weight Watchers, university-based behavioral weight loss treatment, and a combined approach which includes university-based treatment followed by Weight Watchers.

Obesity, and its metabolic consequences - impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and diabetes, is highly prevalent among Arab women in Israel and the Middle East. Since life style modification is difficult to achieve in this population it is important to assess whether other modifiable risk factors can be detected. There is evidence that the homeostasis of vitamin D has a significant role in the eventual development of diabetes. Previous cross sectional studies have shown that low 25 (OH) vitamin D levels are related to glucose intolerance, diabetes, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. The study hypothesis is that 25(OH) vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent among Arab women with IFG and that vitamin D supplementation may improve IFG and by that reduce the risk for future overt diabetes. Additionally, obesity is associated with a low-grade inflammation of white adipose tissue (WAT) resulting from chronic activation of the innate immune system. In obesity, there is an increased production and secretion of a wide range of inflammatory molecules including interleukin-10 (IL-10), which may have systemic effects on WAT and other organs. To that end the investigators will assess the influence of vitamin D supplementation on IL-10 and hs-CRP.

To evaluate the weight loss effect of 1600 mg/day S-2367 administered orally once daily with the morning meal after a 6-week low calorie diet (LCD) of 950 kcal/day with or without S-2367 followed by 54 weeks while on a 800 kcal deficit reduced calorie diet (RCD) compared with placebo in medically stable and otherwise healthy obese male and female subjects To evaluate the safety and tolerability of 1600 mg/day S-2367 administered orally once daily with the morning meal after a 6-week LCD with or without S-2367 followed by 54 weeks on a RCD compared with placebo in medically stable and otherwise healthy obese male and female subjects To evaluate the steady-state/trough pharmacokinetics of 1600 mg/day S-2367 administered orally once daily with the morning meal after a 6-week LCD with or without S-2367 followed by 54 weeks on a RCD in obese male and female subjects To evaluate the weight loss effect of 1600 mg/day S-2367 administered orally once daily with the morning meal during an initial 6-week LCD compared with placebo in medically stable and otherwise healthy obese male and female subjects

The purpose of the study is to investigate the links between blood pressure (BP), overweight or obesity, and sleep apnea syndrome (SAS), by studying a large cohort of subjects suffering from refractory hypertension. Primary objective To compare plasmatic leptin levels in patients suffering from refractory hypertension depending on whether or not they experience SAS. Secondary objectives To ascertain what determines the difference in plasmatic leptin concentrations in patients suffering from refractory hypertension depending on whether or not they experience SAS. To characterise BP readings (from clinical and ambulatory (ABPM) measurements) in patients suffering from refractory hypertension depending on whether or not they experience SAS. To characterise metabolic parameters (lipids, glycaemia, adiponectin) and sympathetic nervous system effectors (adrenaline, noradrenaline and metanephrines) in patients suffering from refractory hypertension depending on whether or not they experience SAS. To characterise BP readings, metabolic parameters and sympathetic nervous system effectors in patients suffering from refractory hypertension according to the severity of the SAS (in those who experience this problem). To study, in patients with both SAS and refractory hypertension, the impact of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on BP readings, metabolic parameters and sympathetic nervous system effectors, by comparing those who are compliant with the CPAP regimen with those who are non-compliant.

Obesity and obesity-related diseases have reached epidemic proportions in Western countries (1-3). Laparoscopic-adjustable silicone gastric banding (LASGB) is a purely restrictive operation that determine effective weight loss without inducing malabsorption (4-6). However, also after LASGB body weight loss is almost invariably associated with Free Fat Mass (FFM) loss, and the relevance of the FFM contribution to total energy expenditure is well-known (7-8). Different endocrine axes are reported to affect FFM. We previously reported that low levels of DHEA-S, an adrenal steroid with controversial anti-adipogenic and anti-atherogenic effects, are increased after the massive and sustainable weight loss induced by LASGB in severely obese premenopausal women and correlated with the higher post-operative FFM (9-10). It is also well known that GH/IGF-I axis exerts relevant effects on FFM and that reduced GH levels might increase Fat Mass (FM) and reduce FFM (11,12). Morbidly obese patients have a reduced GH secretion, generally reversible after weight loss (13-14). In a recent study currently in press, we reported that a persistent deficiency in the GH/IGF-I axis in very obese females is associated to lower decrease in FM after LASGB. Low IGF-I plasma levels have also been reported to be independent prognostic factors of liver steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in morbidly obese patients (15) and ultrasound- measured hepatic left lobe volume might represent a reliable tool for the evaluation of liver involvement in obesity (16). GH deficiency (GHD) in adult patients is associated with an increase in FM and a parallel decrease in FFM (17). The severity of GDH is correlated to cardiovascular risk, body composition abnormalities and bone loss, and decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (18-20). GH therapy has been demonstrated to be effective in normalizing body composition, with beneficial effects up to a 2-years follow-up period (21-24). GH therapy has also been reported to be effective in sparing FFM during weight loss in obese patients and metabolic syndrome (25,26). However, these studies have some limitations due to the duration of the treatment and the lack of a preliminary evaluation of the GH/IGF-I axis secretory status in obese patients before the GH therapy. At present there are no data on the evaluation of the GH/IGF-I status before and after bariatric surgery and the effectiveness of recombinant GH treatment in very severe obese patients.