The U.S. government launched an ambitious push to develop new treatments for Alzheimer’s on Tuesday with a first prevention study of high-risk patients and tests on an insulin nasal spray that has shown promise in earlier studies.

The trials, funded by grants of $16 million and $7.9 million respectively, are part of a national Alzheimer’s plan, a sweeping effort to find an effective way to prevent or treat Alzheimer’s by 2025 and improve the care of those already afflicted with the brain-wasting disease. [Read more...]

Around half of all men will be obese within 30 years, with women not far behind, experts have warned.

They say that if current trends continue, cases of heart disease, strokes, cancer and diabetes related to obesity will soar, costing the NHS £320billion in the next 20 years.

Researcher Tim Marsh, of the National Heart Forum, said: ‘Whilst there are going to be inevitable healthcare costs as the consequences of an ageing population – wear and tear that we can’t do much to prevent – this is entirely preventable.’ [Read more...]

Taking testosterone supplements may help older obese men in cutting their excess weight, researchers have suggested.

In a study, hormone-deficient men were given testosterone supplements in a similar way to HRT for older women.

Men lost an average of 16kg over five years when testosterone levels were increased back to normal.

But experts warn that supplements may not be the answer due to possible risks of prostate cancer and heart disease, the BBC reported. [Read more...]

More bad news about Americans’ waistlines. The obesity epidemic may be slowing, but the number of obese adults is likely to keep going up.

Today, just over a third of U.S. adults are obese. By 2030, 42 percent will be, says a forecast released Monday.

That’s not nearly as many as experts had predicted before the once-rapid rises in obesity rates began levelling off. But the new forecast suggests even small continuing increases will add up.

“We still have a very serious problem,” said obesity specialist Dr. William Dietz of the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. [Read more...]