In a recent study from Johns Hopkins Medicine, researchers have identified potential new uses for a drug initially developed for Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and sickle cell disease.
This drug, a PDE9 inhibitor, has shown promising results in reducing obesity and fatty liver, as well as improving heart function in mice, without necessitating changes in food intake or activity levels.
The study was led by David Kass and published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Obesity remains a pressing global health issue, linked to an increased risk of numerous diseases, including heart disease. Despite the urgency, effective pharmaceutical treatments for severe obesity have been elusive. This makes the findings from the Johns Hopkins team particularly significant.
The study builds on previous research by the same team in 2015, which identified the enzyme PDE9 in the heart as a contributor to heart disease associated with high blood pressure. PDE9, related to the PDE5 enzyme inhibited by drugs like Viagra, regulates a molecule known as cyclic GMP, which is involved in the metabolic processes of cells.
In this study, researchers explored the potential for PDE9 inhibitors to tackle multiple common health issues, such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides, and excess body fat around the waist.
The specific inhibitor used in the mouse study, PF-04447943 by Pfizer Inc., was initially tested in humans for Alzheimer’s disease but was discontinued for that purpose.
It was, however, well tolerated with no serious adverse side effects reported in clinical trials involving over 100 participants. A different PDE9 inhibitor is currently under investigation for treating human heart failure.
The results in mice are encouraging: the use of a PDE9 inhibitor led to significant weight loss and health improvements. If these effects are replicable in humans, the implications could be profound.
For example, an individual weighing 250 pounds might be able to lose about 50 pounds using this drug without modifying their diet or exercise routine.
Given the high prevalence of obesity, particularly among older women in the U.S., this research points towards a potential new treatment pathway that could benefit a large segment of the population.
More studies will be needed to confirm these results in humans and to ensure the safety and efficacy of PDE9 inhibitors for long-term use in treating obesity and related metabolic disorders. This could represent a significant breakthrough in the fight against the obesity epidemic and its associated health conditions.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies that herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm, and how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies that apple juice could benefit your heart health, and results showing yogurt may help lower the death risks in heart disease.
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