http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. The LAP-BAND weight loss procedure is safe and effective in an expanded group of patients, not just in people who are morbidly obese. This conclusion is reported in a new study published in the scientific journal Obesity. The findings indicate that the procedure may help to intervene before obesity becomes life threatening to patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-weight-loss-surgery-safe-effective.html Overweight and Obesity Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:05 EST news286645911 Sugar-sweetened sodas, sports drinks and fruit drinks may be associated with about 180,000 deaths around the world each year, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2013 Scientific Sessions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-deaths-worldwide-sugary-soft.html Health Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:00:12 EST news282927557 Over 9 million people died as a consequence of high blood pressure in 2010, making it the health risk factor with the greatest toll worldwide, say experts. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-blood-pressure-alcohol-health-biggest.html Health Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:00:20 EST news274620495 Hormone-replacement therapy significantly improved symptoms of metabolic syndrome associated with testosterone deficiency in men, a new study from Germany finds. The results to be presented at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-testosterone-replacement-therapy-symptoms-metabolic-syndrome.html Medications Mon, 25 Jun 2012 15:30:09 EST news259855444 Being physically fit may improve survival rates among diabetes patients with a particular type of heart abnormality, a new study determines. The results will be presented at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-physical-survival-diabetes-patients-heart.html Diabetes Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:14:42 EST news259838044 Researchers have found an association between excess body weight and an increased risk for cancer recurrence in men with clinically localized prostate cancer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-excess-body-weight-prostate-cancer.html Cancer Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:40:58 EST news252682852 Researchers at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona, Spain)) have discovered that deficiency of a single protein, Mitofusin 2, in muscle and hepatic cells of mice is sufficient to cause tissues to become insensitive to insulin, thus producing an increase in blood glucose concentrations. These are the two most common conditions prior to development of diabetes type 2. Published in this week's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study validates Mitofusin 2 as a possible target for the treatment of diabetes type 2. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-validate-potential-protein-treatment-diabetes.html Diabetes Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:25:11 EST news251717103 Scientists at King's College London and the National Diabetes Centre (Sri Lanka) have found evidence of a high number of risk factors for type 2 diabetes among the young urban population in Sri Lanka. The study is the first large-scale investigation into diabetes risk among children and young people in South Asia, and provides further evidence that the region is rapidly becoming a hotspot in the growing international diabetes epidemic. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-diabetes-factors-young-sri-lankans.html Diabetes Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:40:32 EST news248434824 For the first time, researchers have analyzed the multitude of microorganisms residing in the human gut as a complex, integrated biological system, rather than a set of separate species. Their approach has revealed patterns that correspond with excess body weight. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-gut-microbe-networks-differ-norm.html Medical research Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:43:40 EST news245429006 Obesity doubles the risk of cancer recurrence and cancer-related death in patients with esophageal cancer who have been treated with surgery, researchers at Mayo Clinic found. Their 778-patient study, which appeared in the Dec. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found that five-year survival in obese patients -- those with a body mass index of 30 or higher -- with esophageal cancer was 18 percent, compared to 36 percent in patients of normal weight. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-obesity-linked-higher-year-death.html Surgery Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:16:18 EST news243609347 Researchers from the United States and Europe involved in an NIH-funded multicenter study have determined that increased body mass index (BMI) is an independent predictor of clinical decompensation in patients with compensated cirrhosis, independent of portal pressure and liver function. The findings suggest obesity accelerates cirrhosis progression and measures to reduce BMI could improve the prognosis for patients with advanced liver disease. Study details are available in the August issue of Hepatology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-obesity-cirrhosis.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:15:16 EST news230462100