Active clinical trials for "Obesity"

Extreme pediatric obesity, the fastest growing category of obesity in youth, is associated with high risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Obesity tracks strongly into adulthood and interventions early in life may reduce risk for developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Few drug therapies for weight loss have been evaluated in adolescents. Since exenatide is associated with weight loss and improves risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in adults, it may be useful in extremely obese youth. Our primary objective in this study is to generate preliminary data on the ability of exenatide to reduce body mass index (BMI) and improve risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in 26 extremely obese adolescents (age 12-19 years) in a three-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot clinical trial. GLP-1 therapy has never been evaluated as a treatment for pediatric obesity and is an innovative approach to a challenging and significant health care problem.

CDC WAY to Health is a three year, group-randomized weight loss intervention study where approximately 1020 overweight/obese employees nested within 17 community colleges are randomly assigned to receive one of three promising, state-of-the-art, theory-linked interventions: Environment/Usual Care (E); Web-based Weight Loss Program + Environment (WEB+E) or Web + Environment +Incentives (WEB+E+I). College is the unit of randomization and intervention; employee is the unit of analysis. Follow-up weigh-in assessments are conducted at 3, 6, and 12 months.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of GFT505 80mg compared with placebo in improving Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT), in patients with impaired glucose tolerance and abdominal obesity, and to assess the tolerability and safety of once-a-day administrations of oral doses of GFT505 during 35 days.

This project will apply the concepts from the Chronic Care Model to the problem of pediatric obesity and proposes: 1) to assess the effectiveness of teaching primary care providers (in diverse practice settings) to use specific communication strategies with parents of overweight and obese children to help them take steps with their child toward healthy behavior change; 2) to offer core components of an efficacious evidence-based pediatric obesity treatment within the pediatric primary care setting to determine if participating children will achieve clinically meaningful weight loss (assessed as weight and BMI percentile changes at the end of treatment and at a six month follow-up); and 3) to assess the ability of trained, behavioral psychologists to offer the treatment so that desired child outcomes are achieved. The primary project outcomes will include: 1) increase in self-reported physician confidence in use of counseling skills related to pediatric overweight; and 2) change in child's diet, physical activity, weight and BMI percentile at the end of treatment and at 6-month follow-up.

Visceral obesity is strongly associated with dyslipidaemia (hypertriglyceridaemia, low HDL-cholesterol and mildly elevated LDL-cholesterol) and insulin resistance, key characteristics of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Recent evidence has clearly established that the risk of CVD is increased in subjects with the MetS. The precise reason for this remains unclear, but appears to be closely related with dyslipidaemia. Effective management of dyslipidaemia is important to reduce the risk of CVD in these subjects. Hypothesis: Inhibition of hepatic cholesterol synthesis by statins and triglyceride synthesis by fish oils improve lipoprotein metabolism in visceral obese men.

This trial is conducted globally. The aim of this trial is to investigate the effect of liraglutide for weight management in pubertal adolescent subjects with obesity.

Combined spinal - epidural (CSE) anesthesia is a well established technique used for elective Cesarean section. As its name suggests, it combines two anesthesia techniques - spinal and epidural. Adjusting the dose of freezing medication for body size is not as simple as giving a larger dose to a larger person. This study asks a simple, yet important question: does your body mass index (BMI) influence the amount of freezing medication needed for adequate CSE anesthesia for Cesarean section? BMI is a number calculated from your height and weight. In patients with a higher BMI, freezing medication appears to spread farther (to a higher level) in the spinal fluid. When freezing is too high, it can cause unwanted side effects. Therefore, in order to provide optimal spinal anesthesia to patients with a higher BMI, it may be advisable to administer less freezing medication. In this study, we want to find the ideal dose of freezing medication for patients with a higher body mass index, and compare it to the dose found to be ideal for patients with normal body mass index.

Central dopamine is thought to play a significant role in obesity. In support of this idea, animal studies and one human positron emission tomography (PET) study have found reduced postsynaptic D2-like receptor availability in the striatum in obesity, with lower D2 receptor availability associated with higher weight. In addition, reward sensitivity and hedonic responses, known to be related to dopamine function, have also been implicated in obesity and obesity-related eating behavior. These reports have led to the concept that dopaminergic abnormalities (e.g. reduced D2-like receptors) influence reward sensitivity, leading to altered eating behaviors and eventually obesity. However, there are several critical limitations of the human D2 receptor studies that limit the strength of their conclusions and thus the interpretations and speculations embedded in literature that relies on this work. First, estimates of D2-like receptors in humans have been confounded by potential differences in endogenous dopamine release since the PET ligand (raclopride) used is known to be displaceable from receptors by endogenous dopamine. Second, failure to rigorously screen obese individuals for diabetes confounds conclusions, since diabetes has been independently associated with dopaminergic abnormalities such as reduced D2-like receptors and muted dopamine release in diabetic rats. Finally, no human studies have addressed whether reduced D2-like receptor levels are a risk factor for obesity, a consequence of engaging in obesity-related behaviors or being obese or all of the above.

Background: Obesity is associated with a high prevalence of chronic kidney disease.The glomerular hyperfiltration associated with obesity may play a role in the pathogenesis of obesity associated chronic kidney disease. Attenuation of hyperfiltration by pharmacological means may slow down the development and progression of chronic renal failure. The investigators have previously shown that acetazolamide, a proximally acting diuretic that activates tubuloglomerular feedback(TGF) by increasing solute delivery to the Macula DENSA, abates glomerular hyperfiltration. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that this decrease in hyperfiltration is specific to acetazolamide and not due to a non specific diuretic effect. The aim of the present study is to compare the effects of furosemide and acetazolamide on glomerular hemodynamics in subjects with severe obesity. Methods: A randomized double-blind crossover controlled design will be used. Fifteen obese subjects and ten subjects with normal body weight will participate in the study. Obese subjects will undergo measurement of glomerular filtration rate (GFR)(inulin clearance), renal plasma flow (RPF) (p-aminohippuric acid clearance), filtration fraction, fractional excretion of lithium (FE LI) and blood pressure, before and after intravenous administration of furosemide 2 mg. and acetazolamide 5 mg/kg BW. Ten subjects with normal body weight will undergo measurement of renal function without administration of diuretics.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is an important cause of myocardial infarction and stroke. High blood pressure often occurs in people who are overweight. These people frequently also have abnormal fat and sugar metabolism. The combination of these problems is called the 'metabolic syndrome'. People with hypertension and obesity currently receive the same drug therapy as people with hypertension, but without obesity. Different classes of drugs are thought to be equally effective in lowering blood pressure. Next to lowering blood pressure, hypertension treatment can have additional effects, like changes in blood vessel function (the ability to dilate and constrict) or changes is the metabolism of sugar and fat. Particularly in patients with the metabolic syndrome, these additional effects are thought to be of great importance, because they can influence the risk for cardiovascular diseases. The blood pressure lowering mechanism differs between classes of blood pressure lowering medication. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of three types of blood pressure lowering medication belonging to different classes. The main outcomes of interest will be blood vessel function (the ability to dilate and constrict) and blood pressure. Moreover, the effect of treatment on additional outcomes, like metabolism of sugar and fat, will be studied.