https://medicalxpress.com/endocrinology-metabolism-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Endocrinology The effect of obesity on unemployment is more than twice as large as previously thought, finds a UK Biobank study of genetic evidence. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-obese-unemployed.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:40:01 EDT news703500065 An estimated 27% of U.S. adults with diabetes are using glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs)—a type of medication that mimics the GLP-1 hormone—to lower blood sugar and support weight loss. Some research has suggested that their use can reduce the risk of developing other diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-semaglutide-glp-drugs-linked-degenerative.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 11:40:06 EDT news703505994 For veterans with type 2 diabetes (T2D) receiving basal insulin therapy, the addition of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) does not increase the rate of insulin discontinuation compared with other glucose-lowering agents, according to a study published online July 14 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-glp-receptor-agonist-insulin-discontinuation.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 20:00:08 EDT news703427262 Why do some people lose substantial weight with GLP-1-based medications while others see more modest results? A Mayo Clinic study offers a potential answer by identifying a distinct biological subtype of obesity that responds especially well to tirzepatide, a medication that mimics two naturally occurring hormones involved in appetite and blood sugar regulation, moving the field closer to precision medicine for obesity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-patients-obesity-benefit-glp-based.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:40:13 EDT news703423982 As use of GLP-1s surged across the U.S., average total payments per user also climbed sharply, according to a new Northwestern University study that analyzed national trends in GLP-1 use and spending between 2017 and 2022. These total payments included out-of-pocket costs paid by patients as well as payments from insurers, employers and government programs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-glp-1s-term.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:00:06 EDT news703325800 A meta-analysis of 10 randomized controlled trials involving more than 23,000 participants, presented at the International Congress on Obesity (ICO 2026), hosted by the World Obesity Federation (WOF) in Mexico City, Mexico (July 15–17), shows that the GLP-1 class of obesity drugs is associated with a marked reduction in systemic inflammation beyond its anti-obesity effects, potentially explaining how the drugs can reduce cardiovascular risk factors. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-ozempic-drugs-benefits-body-weight.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:00:04 EDT news703410616 New research presented at the International Congress on Obesity (ICO2026), hosted by the World Obesity Federation (WOF) in Mexico City, Mexico, (15–17 July) asks what is driving the obesity pandemic. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-obesity-pandemic.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:40:04 EDT news703401962 A new systematic review and meta-analysis presented at the International Congress on Obesity (ICO2026), hosted by the World Obesity Federation (WOF) in Mexico City, Mexico, July 15–17, is the first study to show that behavioral weight loss interventions reduce the risk of obesity-related cancers in people living with overweight and obesity by 15%. The study was conducted by Dr. Matthew Harris and Professor Andrew Renehan of the Manchester Cancer Research Center at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-behavior-aid-weight-loss-linked.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:40:04 EDT news703325965 Public interest in obesity medication has risen 25-fold since the launch of GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs, new research presented at the International Congress on Obesity (ICO2026) in Mexico City, Mexico, hosted by the World Obesity Federation (July 15–17) shows. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-internet-weight-loss-medications-glp.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:20:01 EDT news703325955 Liver disease may affect close to half of adults in Mexico, yet the country tracks it far less closely than the diabetes and obesity to which it is linked, according to a new paper by Jeffrey Lazarus, professor at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH), and colleagues, released to coincide with the International Congress on Obesity taking place in Mexico City this week. The authors argue that Mexico should fold liver health into its existing programs for diabetes, obesity and other noncommunicable diseases rather than treating it as a separate problem. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-mexico-liver-health-chronic-disease.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 07:14:43 EDT news703318453 Among adults with insulin-treated diabetes, initiation of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) by primary care clinicians is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and significant reductions in recurrent hospitalizations, according to a study published online July 6 in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-primary-glucose-effective.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 20:00:04 EDT news703250516 An estimated 1 in 4 adults worldwide has metabolic syndrome. While metabolic syndrome is most often thought of as a warning sign that diabetes or cardiovascular disease may be on the horizon, my team's new study suggests that its consequences reach further—and it may actually be accelerating the aging of the brain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-adults-metabolic-syndrome-aging-brains.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 17:00:01 EDT news703250281 An international research group led by researchers from VUB-UZ Brussels and KU Leuven has demonstrated that a combined approach targeting both the immune system and insulin-producing beta cells can slow the progression of type 1 diabetes more effectively than individual treatments. The results were published in the journal Diabetologia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-preclinical-combined-strategy-diabetes.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 13:40:01 EDT news703245769 A major new international study led by Curtin University has found diabetes risk is about more than body weight or obesity, revealing that muscle health also likely plays a major role in whether people develop the condition. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-muscles-diabetes.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 08:20:15 EDT news703231381 Researchers writing in Frontiers in Science propose using simple tests to track metabolic health in noncommunicable diseases, which cause three in four deaths worldwide. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-simple-track-metabolic-health-cancer.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 05:00:05 EDT news703143887 Obesity can act as fuel for leukemia, according to a study led by Indiana University School of Medicine scientists. To help patients facing aggressive blood cancers overcome this metabolic risk, researchers identified a potential treatment strategy that combines popular weight-loss medications with anti-inflammatory drugs. The findings were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-obesity-fuels-leukemia-combo-popular.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:40:01 EDT news703173473 Testosterone may play a bigger role in the emotional development of girls entering puberty than previously thought, according to new research from the University of Georgia published in Psychoneuroendocrinology. Greater changes in the hormone were linked to more emotional difficulties among girls ages 10–12, even when accounting for levels of other hormones. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-hormonal-puberty-linked-emotional-distress.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:40:01 EDT news703164002 Does informing people about their genetic risk of obesity help them change their habits and lose excess weight? A study published in the journal Obesity Reviews by scientists, including researchers from SWPS University, shows that knowledge about one's genes alone is not enough. Effective behavioral change requires long-term, personalized support. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-knowledge-genes-isnt-people-genetic.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 09:20:06 EDT news703148871 Most women are aware that fertility declines dramatically with age. This is mainly due to the gradual loss of eggs and follicles from the ovaries, leading to infertility, irregular cycles and ultimately menopause. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-gene-discovery-infertility-early-menopause.html Sun, 12 Jul 2026 20:30:01 EDT news702809186 For generations, early to bed and early to rise was seen as the blueprint for a healthy life, and any departure from it was often considered unhealthy. Scientists, however, have discovered that whether someone is an early bird who wakes up early and starts the day with energy or a night owl who naturally stays up late and wakes up later is far more than a lifestyle choice. This pattern reflects the body's natural preference for the timing of sleep and wake cycles within a 24-hour day. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-night-owls-nutritious-food-belly.html Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:20:04 EDT news702896030 New research presented at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2026 Annual Meeting explores an approach that could expand the potential of cell replacement therapy for type 1 diabetes by evaluating whether immune-engineered, allogeneic insulin-producing cells can survive and function without chronic immunosuppression. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-human-explores-immune-cell-therapy.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:10:01 EDT news702889604 For many people living with obesity, newer weight-loss medicines such as Wegovy and Mounjaro have been transformative. These drugs are often grouped under the label GLP-1 medicines because they mimic hormones released after eating, helping people feel fuller and less hungry. Mounjaro, whose active ingredient is tirzepatide, also acts on another hormone involved in appetite and blood sugar control. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-weightloss-jabs-kind-yoyo-dieting.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:20:07 EDT news702893522 The share of U.S. adults taking GLP-1 medications to lose weight has reached a record 11%. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-glp-high-medicare-access-weight.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 17:20:03 EDT news702823630 Obesity and dietitian societies have joined forces to issue a new consensus statement on recommendations surrounding the use of obesity drugs for weight loss treatment. The statement, which is published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, is led by Dr. Laurence Dobbie of the Department of Population Health Sciences, King's College London, with an international team of 26 authors. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-societies-combine-issue-incretin-drugs.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:40:09 EDT news702809243 In a study published in PLOS Medicine, Daniel Stow, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at Queen Mary University of London, UK, and collaborators discovered factors that increase the risk of developing several long-term, coexisting health conditions among South Asian populations in the United Kingdom. Since nearly 8% of the U.K.'s population has South Asian heritage, these findings lend much-needed insights for public health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-untangling-factors-multiple-chronic-conditions.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:00:04 EDT news702794182 A study has found some tampons leach low levels of chemicals that disrupt hormones, regardless of whether they are synthetic or organic. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-synthetic-tampons-leach-hormone-disrupting.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:20:01 EDT news702809760 A new therapy helps achieve a healthier BMI in people whose weight has become dysregulated following treatment for a brain tumor, a clinical trial has found. The results of the trial have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The new drug, setmelanotide, offers hope for improved health and quality of life for children and adults with hormonal and metabolic dysfunction caused by a brain tumor. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-treatment-healthier-bmi-people-weight.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:00:09 EDT news702807912 Medicare prescriptions for Wegovy increased sharply after the program started covering the anti-obesity medication to prevent heart problems, but just a fraction of beneficiaries likely eligible received the treatment, according to new research published in the American Journal of Managed Care by the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-medicare-prescriptions-wegovy-heart-disease.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:00:01 EDT news702720952 People with anorexia nervosa have unusually high levels of a hormone called LEAP2 in their blood when they are in the acute phase of the disorder, according to research presented at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2026. Patients with the highest levels of LEAP2 are more likely to relapse following treatment for anorexia nervosa. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-uncover-hormone-link-gut-brain.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:00:08 EDT news702802072 GLP-1 agonists have become popular treatments for weight loss and type 2 diabetes, and newer studies suggest other health benefits as well. Findings from experiments on mice, published in the Journal of Virology, suggest that the drugs may offer benefits to another patient population: people with type 2 diabetes who suffer from pulmonary fibrosis months or years after infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-glp-agonists-people-diabetes-covid.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:00:03 EDT news702712306