2024 News Feed
Dr. Kaja Falkenhain Receives 2024 George A. Bray Doctoral Dissertation Award at ObesityWeek
During ObesityWeek, Dr. Kaja Falkenhain, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Leanne Redman’s Reproductive Endocrinology and Women's Health Laboratory at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, was recognized with the 2024 George A. Bray Doctoral Dissertation Award.
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Researchers Identify Reduction in Heart Failure-Related Risk Factors Following Metabolic Surgery
Pennington Biomedical Research Center researchers at the Metamor Institute, along with colleagues from Our Lady of the Lake and LSU Health-New Orleans, have recently determined that metabolic surgery on patients with heart failure can result in a reduction in the need for oral diuretics, which are used to manage symptoms such as venous and vascular pressures. The researchers explain their processes and further elaborated on their findings in the recent study “Clinical Outcomes of Metabolic Surgery on Diuretic Use in Patients with Heart Failure.”
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Pennington Biomedical on Display at ObesityWeek 2024 in San Antonio
Pennington Biomedical Research Center researchers are gearing up and preparing to head to San Antonio for ObesityWeek 2024, presented by The Obesity Society. Pennington Biomedical will be well represented at the conference, as faculty members are not just participating in, but leading courses, presentations and speaker panels during the event.
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Commentary: Skeletal Muscle Health Amid Growing Use of Weight Loss Medications
A recent commentary published in The Lancet journal highlights the critical importance of skeletal muscle mass in the context of medically induced weight loss, particularly with the widespread use of GLP-1 receptor agonists. These medications, celebrated for their effectiveness in treating obesity, have raised concerns regarding the potential for substantial muscle loss as part of the weight loss process.
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Dr. Eric Ravussin: Are We Adequately Training Our Healthcare Providers to Face the Obesity Pandemic?
As the world grapples with a growing obesity crisis, there is a continued need to assess how well healthcare providers are trained to address this challenge. With obesity rates rising globally among both the adult and adolescent populations – contributing to chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and reduced life expectancy – it is more crucial than ever to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills required to combat this epidemic.
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Obesity Medicine Fellowship Created at Pennington Biomedical
A new Obesity Medicine Fellowship at Pennington Biomedical Research Center is now open for candidate applications. The one-year program is the result of a collaboration between Pennington Biomedical and Louisiana State University Health New Orleans School of Medicine. The fellowship training will primarily take place at the Metamor Institute on the Pennington Biomedical campus in Baton Rouge.
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Opportunities for Obesity Research, Treatment and Prevention being Explored in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City, or SBAHC, a leading non-profit medical institute in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., are pleased to announce that they are exploring a partnership to address one of the most critical public health challenges facing the world today – obesity.
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Pennington Biomedical’s EAT2 Study to Explore Unknown Effects of Weight Fluctuations
Dr. Ursula White, an associate professor of Clinical Science at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, is taking a deep dive into the lasting health effects of short-term weight gain and weight loss. The ability for the fat tissue to expand or contract to accommodate changes in body weight is important for sustained health. Dr. White’s clinical study at Pennington Biomedical, the EAT2 study, will allow her to explore how changes within the adipose tissue are affected by weight gain and weight loss, and what that means for a person’s health.
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Americans are Meeting Minimum Needs for Essential Amino Acids
Essential amino acid intakes in the US population exceed recommended minimum requirements, but higher intakes were not correlated with muscle benefits in older adults.
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New U.S. Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth Reveals Continued Low Levels of Physical Activity
The Physical Activity Alliance, the nation’s largest national coalition dedicated to advancing regular participation in physical activity, today released the 2024 United States Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. The overall physical activity grade for children and youth remained low at D-, the same grade it received in 2022, the last time a report was made.
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