Obesity is a major health problem all over the world. It increases the risk of many serious diseases, including heart problems and diabetes. Despite how common obesity is, there are still no pills that work well for treating severe obesity.
But scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine may have found a new way to help. They studied a drug that was originally created for other serious illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and sickle cell disease.
In a recent study, they found that this drug helped mice lose weight, reduce fat in their liver, and improve heart health. What’s even more surprising is that the mice did not have to eat less or exercise more to see these results.
The drug works by blocking an enzyme called PDE9. This enzyme plays a role in how cells send signals. In earlier studies, researchers found that PDE9 is active in the heart and can make heart disease worse, especially when blood pressure is high.
By blocking PDE9, the drug helps the body use a chemical signal called cyclic GMP, which is important for heart and metabolic health.
This research builds on earlier findings from 2015. While PDE9 inhibitors are still being tested and are not yet available in pharmacies, they work in a way that is similar to Viagra, a well-known drug that blocks a related enzyme called PDE5.
In the new study, the team wanted to see if blocking PDE9 could do more than help the heart. They tested the drug PF-04447943, which was first made by the drug company Pfizer for Alzheimer’s disease.
That drug didn’t help with Alzheimer’s, but it was shown to be safe in over 100 people during earlier tests. In this new study, the same drug helped lower blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and body fat in mice. It even reduced the fat around their waists, which is known to be especially dangerous for health.
Another PDE9-blocking drug is now being tested to treat heart failure in people. This means that scientists are still learning about the many ways these drugs might help the body.
This research could be very important. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 40% of adults in the United States are obese. For women over 60, that number is even higher, with 43% considered obese.
If the effects seen in mice also happen in humans, the results could be life-changing. A person who weighs 250 pounds might be able to lose about 50 pounds just by taking a pill—without needing to diet or exercise more.
The study, led by Dr. David Kass, was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. It opens up exciting new ideas for treating obesity and helps us think differently about why people gain weight. It also challenges the idea that overeating is always the main cause of obesity.
Still, more research is needed. Scientists must test these drugs in humans to make sure they are safe and actually work as well as they do in mice. But if everything goes well, this could lead to a major breakthrough in helping people who struggle with obesity and related health problems.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies about orange that could help obesity, and a berry that can prevent cancer, diabetes and obesity.
For more health information, please see recent studies about ginger’s journey in weight management, and green tea: a cup of weight loss.
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