Obesity is a growing health problem worldwide, increasing the risk of many serious diseases. Despite its prevalence, there are no widely effective pills for treating severe obesity. However, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine may have found a new approach.
Researchers have discovered that a drug originally developed for conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and sickle cell disease could also help with weight loss. This drug targets an enzyme called PDE9 and has been shown to reduce obesity, lower fat in the liver, and improve heart health in mice—without any changes to diet or exercise.
This discovery builds on earlier research from 2015, which revealed that PDE9 plays a role in heart disease, particularly in people with high blood pressure. The new study suggests that blocking PDE9 could have even broader health benefits, including lowering blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides, and reducing belly fat.
The drug tested in the study, called PF-04447943, was initially developed by Pfizer to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Although it didn’t work as expected for that condition, it was found to be safe for humans in early trials, with over 100 participants tolerating it well.
Now, a different PDE9 inhibitor is being tested for treating heart failure, raising hopes that it could also work for obesity.
The potential impact of this research is significant. Over 40% of U.S. adults are classified as obese, and among women over 60, that number rises to 43%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
If this drug works in humans as it does in mice, it could mean that someone weighing 250 pounds might lose around 50 pounds without changing their diet or activity levels.
The study, led by Dr. David Kass and published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, offers a fresh perspective on obesity treatment. It challenges the idea that overeating is the only cause of obesity and suggests that new medical treatments could help people struggling with their weight.
However, more research is needed before PDE9 inhibitors can be used as an obesity treatment. Scientists must confirm that the drug is safe and effective for humans. If successful, this could lead to a groundbreaking new way to manage obesity, giving hope to millions of people worldwide.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies about the right diet for weight loss in type 2 diabetes, and is it possible to lose weight without diet and exercise.
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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