https://medicalxpress.com/endocrinology-metabolism-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Endocrinology For decades, physicians and scientists thought metformin, the leading type 2 diabetes medication taken by millions worldwide, mainly targets the liver to suppress glucose production. But a new Northwestern University study in mice has found this "wonder drug" instead focuses primarily on the gut, acting to prevent glucose levels rising in the blood by driving glucose utilization inside cells lining the intestine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-metformin-real-power-gut.html Fri, 08 May 2026 05:00:03 EDT news697367583 Few women with postpartum-onset diabetes meet recommended A1C monitoring guidelines, highlighting a need to improve routine diabetes care—particularly among Black women—according to new research at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The study is published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-postpartum-diabetes-falls-short-women.html Thu, 07 May 2026 17:20:07 EDT news697390741 Researchers at McGill University and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center (RI-MUHC) have developed a novel device to transplant insulin-producing cells that integrates directly with existing blood vessels in the body. The technology, which showed promising results in preclinical trials, aims to overcome key challenges of emerging long-term cell-based treatments for Type 1 diabetes. As well as serving as an artificial pancreas, it potentially could be used to replace or support the function of other organs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-implant-links-insulin-cells-blood.html Thu, 07 May 2026 17:20:05 EDT news697386852 Exposure to one of the most toxic forms of mercury (methylmercury) may also disrupt the body's metabolic health, according to the findings of a new international study. The research, involving University of Bristol scientists and published in Chemical Research in Toxicology, found the element may have wider health effects than previously known. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-mercury-pollution-affect-brains-clues.html Thu, 07 May 2026 16:40:06 EDT news697378078 Changes in gut microbiota after bariatric surgery are strongly linked to altered metabolic health and sustained improvement in type 2 diabetes, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Gothenburg. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-gut-microbiota-play-role-metabolic.html Thu, 07 May 2026 16:20:10 EDT news697385762 A hallmark of type 2 diabetes is the progressive loss of beta cell mass: cells in the pancreas that produce and release insulin. The endoplasmic reticulum stress response, a cellular pathway that maintains protein homeostasis, plays a critical role in beta cell function and survival, and the protein ATF6α is one of the key regulators of this stress response. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-beta-cells-pressure-key-stress.html Thu, 07 May 2026 15:20:01 EDT news697383301 New research shows that the same genes are active in pancreatic cancer, obesity and diabetes, helping to explain why people with metabolic disease often face poorer cancer outcomes and pointing to future ways to predict recurrence and develop more targeted treatments. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-common-inflammatory-genes-link-pancreatic.html Wed, 06 May 2026 16:20:02 EDT news697292930 An international partnership designed to improve equality in access to genomic medicine for a rare disease has now provided potentially life-saving genetic testing for over 1,100 families across the world. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-rapid-genomic-families-worldwide-treatment.html Wed, 06 May 2026 13:00:06 EDT news697287841 A study has found that an emerging class of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs suppresses eating for pleasure, or hedonic feeding, in mice by modulating a reward circuit deep within the brain. This newly charted pathway—separate from previously described mechanisms that broadly affect appetite—could be an avenue by which GLP-1s treat other dysfunctions in reward processing, such as substance use disorder. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-oral-small-molecule-glp-drugs.html Wed, 06 May 2026 12:20:08 EDT news697284481 In a new study, scientists at Cleveland Clinic discovered that hormones associated with male development may play a key role in limiting the growth of brain tumors in men. The research team found that the loss of androgen hormones, such as testosterone, in a preclinical model of glioblastoma drove tumor growth by inducing local inflammation and triggering the production of stress hormones. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-testosterone-suppresses-brain-tumor-growth.html Wed, 06 May 2026 11:00:05 EDT news697279502 Metabolic and bariatric surgery offers significantly greater long-term protection against heart attack, stroke and death than widely used GLP-1 drugs in older adults with obesity and diabetes, according to a new real-world analysis study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS2026). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-bariatric-surgery-effective-glp-drugs.html Wed, 06 May 2026 07:00:05 EDT news697200998 Metabolic and bariatric surgery delivers significantly greater weight loss and higher rates of obesity-related disease remission than glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s), according to one of the largest and most comprehensive real-world comparisons of the two treatments. The findings were presented at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Annual Meeting (ASMBS2026). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-bariatric-surgery-significantly-effective-glp.html Wed, 06 May 2026 07:00:01 EDT news697201003 As GLP-1 receptor agonists reshape obesity treatment, a new medical perspective published in JAMA, underscores a persistent gap in care: integrating exercise into weight management in ways patients can sustain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-critical-role-glp-era.html Tue, 05 May 2026 15:00:06 EDT news697204861 Nearly 40% of the population in the United States develop obesity, which is linked to the development of several diseases, including type 2 diabetes and metabolic liver disease. The rise in obesity is, in part, caused by high-calorie diets and sedentary habits. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-gut-hormone-fgf15-mice-weight.html Tue, 05 May 2026 13:40:01 EDT news697203481 A new real-world analysis of more than 90,000 patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes finds metabolic and bariatric surgery costs significantly less than weekly injections of GLP-1 drugs over a two-year period, according to new research presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS2026). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-bariatric-surgery-glp-drugs.html Tue, 05 May 2026 12:20:04 EDT news697201803 By 2030, the population in the United States aged 65 and older is expected to reach 71 million or about 20% of Americans. This growth is likely to increase the burden of age-related diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD), affecting about 1 in 9 adults over 65. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-obesity-alzheimer-linked-disease-metabolic.html Tue, 05 May 2026 10:20:04 EDT news697193941 More than half a billion people worldwide are living with diabetes, the vast majority with type 2 diabetes (T2D), a chronic condition that continues to rise alongside aging populations and changing lifestyles. Despite its prevalence, the cell-type-specific mechanisms that shape beta-cell adaptation and failure over time have remained only partially understood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-diabetes-revealed.html Tue, 05 May 2026 10:00:12 EDT news697193458 Using a deep learning model to analyze the composition of large muscles on MRI, German researchers found that the proportions of intermuscular fat and lean muscle mass were associated with high blood pressure and unhealthy lipid and blood sugar levels. Results of the study were published in Radiology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-hidden-muscle-fat-poses-danger.html Tue, 05 May 2026 10:00:10 EDT news697097221 People who begin obesity treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) and then undergo metabolic and bariatric surgery achieve substantially greater weight loss than with the medications alone, according to new research presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS2026). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-metabolic-bariatric-surgery-glp-treatment.html Tue, 05 May 2026 07:00:02 EDT news697106762 A long-term MRI study demonstrates that lower accumulation of abdominal fat (visceral fat), measured throughout the entire follow-up period, is associated with a significant slowing of brain atrophy, preservation of key brain structures, and better cognitive performance in late midlife—independent of weight loss. The findings suggest that the relationship between abdominal fat and brain aging is likely mediated primarily through glucose control and insulin sensitivity. The study is the first to link repeated MRI-based measurements of cumulative visceral fat with long-term trajectories of brain aging and cognition. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-sustained-reduction-abdominal-fat-cognitive.html Mon, 04 May 2026 13:20:07 EDT news697117561 Changes within the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord, can be a key reason for pain in people with diabetes, and future treatments could focus on restoring the brain's pain blocking systems, according to new research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-central-nervous-key-player-diabetes.html Mon, 04 May 2026 10:40:05 EDT news697107121 People with obesity face a significantly increased risk of atherosclerosis, and consequently heart attack and stroke. This elevated risk is largely driven by chronic inflammation in the blood vessels, which is more common in severe obesity. A new study led by Florian Kiefer at the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, MedUni Vienna, has now identified brown adipose tissue (brown fat) as a potential protective factor for vascular health. The findings, published in Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, show for the first time in humans that individuals with obesity and active brown fat exhibit significantly lower arterial inflammation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-brown-fat-cardiovascular-disease-obesity.html Mon, 04 May 2026 09:00:04 EDT news697102861 A new study from Karolinska Institutet shows that an enzyme in the liver may partly explain sex differences in the body's handling of cholesterol and the risk of developing atherosclerosis. The research, published in Nature Communications, is based on experiments conducted in mice and human liver cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-linked-liver-enzyme-women-men.html Mon, 04 May 2026 08:00:04 EDT news697099981 Inconsistent use of some GLP-1 weight-loss medications, like Ozempic and Wegovy, may significantly lessen their effectiveness, according to a new preclinical study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight, showed that each time overweight mice stopped and restarted GLP-1s, they dropped less and less weight compared to their original weight-loss. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-restarting-glp-1s-weight-drug.html Sun, 03 May 2026 08:00:02 EDT news696609873 New research has shown that GLP‑1 weight-loss drugs deliver protection against heart attacks, strokes, and premature death over a sustained period of time. Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) analyzed data from more than 90,000 patients enrolled in large-scale international studies and found that people given glucagon-like peptide‑1 (GLP‑1) receptor agonists were significantly less likely to suffer major cardiovascular events than those given a placebo. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-glp-drugs-term-benefit-heart.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:00:01 EDT news696767102 A new randomized clinical trial provides some of the clearest evidence to date that what we eat can meaningfully reshape both human health and the health of the planet. Researchers have found that a low-fat vegan diet reduced food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 57%—nearly three times more than a Mediterranean diet—while also improving key cardiometabolic outcomes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-vegan-diet-mediterranean-emissions-metabolic.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 18:00:04 EDT news696786363 The study, published in Nature Medicine, shows that future risk of 18 obesity-related diseases can be predicted using 20 commonly collected health measures, such as blood test results and demographic information. The tool could complement the use of BMI to offer a more accurate, personalized way to identify individuals at a higher risk of developing conditions like heart disease or cancer, leading to better monitoring, earlier interventions, and improved health outcomes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-people-weight-vastly-futures-tool.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:00:02 EDT news696772261 Type 2 diabetes can turn immune cells that help with tissue repair and anti-inflammatory responses into triggers of chronic inflammation. A recent study investigated why people with type 2 diabetes are at a higher risk of severe complications from peripheral artery disease (PAD). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-diabetes-flips-immune-cells-inflammation.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:20:08 EDT news696763771 In people with type 1 diabetes (T1D), the immune system shuts down the body's ability to make the hormone insulin, responsible for regulating blood sugar and providing cells with glucose to produce energy. As a result, they are dependent on external sources of the hormone for the rest of their lives. Predicting who will develop T1D remains difficult, as existing genetic risk scores are largely limited to individuals with well-known high-risk variants. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-genetic-diabetes-accurate-machine.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:40:06 EDT news696763921 One in 10 Americans experience osteoporosis, which significantly weakens bones and makes them more prone to fracture. Women comprise 80% of people with osteoporosis, and women approaching or in menopause are at the highest risk, according to Mary Jane De Souza, distinguished professor of kinesiology and physiology at Penn State. De Souza explained that May serves as both Osteoporosis Awareness Month and Women's Health Month, making it the ideal time for both women and men to learn how to maintain healthy bones for as long as possible. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-qa-women-bones-healthy.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 19:40:05 EDT news696699661