Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine have discovered that an experimental drug originally developed for other health problems could help reduce obesity and improve heart health.
The drug was first created to treat conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and sickle cell disease. But in this new study, it showed promising results for fighting obesity and improving how the heart works—without needing people to eat less or move more.
This is important because severe obesity is a major health problem all over the world. It increases the risk of serious conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and liver problems. Right now, there are no pills that work well to treat extreme obesity on their own. That’s why this study is so exciting.
The drug works by blocking a certain protein in the body called PDE9. This protein affects how cells handle signals related to heart function and body fat. PDE9 is related to another protein called PDE5, which is blocked by drugs like Viagra. While Viagra is already available, drugs that block PDE9 are still being tested and are not yet approved for public use.
The same research team had already studied PDE9 before. Back in 2015, they found that this protein is present in the heart and may cause damage when someone has high blood pressure. Since then, they’ve been curious if blocking PDE9 could help fix problems related to obesity and heart disease.
In this study, the scientists used a type of PDE9 blocker created by Pfizer, a company that makes many well-known medicines. The drug is called PF-04447943. It was originally tested in people with Alzheimer’s disease but didn’t work well for that purpose and was set aside.
However, it turned out to be safe. Over 100 people tried the drug in clinical trials, and no serious side effects were found. Another version of a PDE9 blocker is currently being tested in people with heart failure.
To test the drug in this study, researchers gave it to mice that had diet-related obesity. These mice were overweight and had other problems like high blood sugar, fatty liver, and poor heart function—similar to what some people experience.
After the mice took the drug, they lost a lot of fat, especially around their waist area. Their heart function improved, and fat in their liver decreased. What’s most surprising is that these changes happened even though the mice didn’t eat less or move more than usual.
In the U.S., more than 40% of adults are obese. For women over 60, that number goes up to 43%. If the results seen in mice also happen in humans, a person who weighs 250 pounds might lose around 50 pounds just by taking a pill. That’s a big deal for many people struggling with weight and related health issues.
Even though this drug is not available yet and more research is needed, the results are promising. It gives hope that one day there might be a safe and effective treatment for obesity and heart problems that doesn’t rely on dieting or exercising alone.
This study was led by Dr. David Kass and his team at Johns Hopkins and was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
If you care about weight, please read studies about diet that can treat fatty liver disease, obesity, and hop extract could reduce belly fat in overweight people.
For more information about weight, please see recent studies about how to curb your cravings for ready-to-eat foods, and results showing what you can eat to speed your metabolism up.
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