2026 News Feed
Pennington Biomedical’s Greaux Healthy Initiative Addresses Childhood Obesity as It Tours Acadiana Region
The Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s Greaux Healthy initiative is set to embark on a significant outreach tour throughout the Acadiana region March 9-13. As childhood obesity rates in Louisiana rank among the highest in the nation, the Greaux Healthy initiative seeks to engage local education, healthcare, business, and government leaders in a collaborative effort to address this pressing health crisis.
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National Sleep Awareness Week 2026: Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Prachi Singh Shares Importance of a Complete Night’s Rest
Sunday, March 8, marked the start of daylight saving time, when clocks move forward and many people lose an hour of sleep. It is fitting, then, that National Sleep Awareness Week – an initiative of the National Sleep Foundation – begins the same day and continues through March 14. During the week, sleep health organizations encourage the public to consider the importance of healthy sleep habits and their impact on overall well-being. The observance also coincides with World Sleep Day, recognized on Friday, March 13, by the World Sleep Society, which highlights the global importance of sleep and promotes better sleep practices worldwide.
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Hundreds Attend 26th Annual Irene W. Pennington Wellness Day for Women at Pennington Biomedical
Hundreds of women from across the Greater Baton Rouge region gathered at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center on Saturday, March 7, for the 26th annual Irene W. Pennington Wellness Day for Women, a morning dedicated to health screenings, wellness education and activities focused on mind and body health. Participants received a Passport to Wellness Card and visited screening and activity stations throughout the Center, connecting with healthcare providers and researchers while learning practical ways to support their health.
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Greaux Healthy Day Declared in Lake Charles: Pennington Biomedical’s Greaux Healthy Initiative Highlights Childhood Obesity Challenge in SWLA
Local elected officials and community stakeholders gathered today at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital to learn about Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s Greaux Healthy initiative. Greaux Healthy is an initiative by LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center in partnership with the State of Louisiana focused on preventing and treating childhood obesity in Louisiana. Lake Charles Mayor Marshall Simien, Jr. was onsite to present the group with a proclamation announcing March 5th as “Greaux Healthy Day” in Lake Charles.
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Combination GLP-1 Therapy Shows Fat Mass Loss While Preserving Lean Mass in Adults with Obesity
A recent research study found that a combination of the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide and bimagrumab, an antibody that blocks activin signaling pathways, results in greater weight loss while also preserving lean mass, such as skeletal muscle and connective tissue. In the paper “Bimagrumab and semaglutide alone or in combination for the treatment of obesity: a phase 2 randomized clinical trial,” published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, Dr. Steven Heymsfield of Pennington Biomedical Research Center describes the results of the BELIEVE study, which showed that the therapy combination addressed lean mass loss associated with GLP-1-based therapies.
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Pennington Biomedical Researcher Publishes Editorial in Leading American Heart Association Journal
Dr. John Apolzan, director of the Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism Laboratory at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, published an editorial on the importance of fruit intake to vascular health in the Journal of the American Heart Association, a leading peer-reviewed publication focused on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health research.
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Louisiana’s Childhood Obesity Initiative, Greaux Healthy, Visits Lake Charles on March 5
Members of the media are invited to attend a press conference formally introducing Greaux Healthy to the Lake Charles community. Greaux Healthy is an initiative by LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center in partnership with the State of Louisiana focused on preventing and treating childhood obesity in Louisiana.
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Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Jeffrey Keller to Present StreetCoach Safer Driver Program on Feb. 25
Public safety leaders, fleet managers, business owners and general drivers are invited to Pennington Biomedical on Feb. 25, 2026, at 3 p.m. for a Behind the Lab Doors event, which will feature the StreetCoach Safer Driver Program, presented by Dr. Jeffrey Keller. Registration for the event is now available and required at pbrf.org/upcoming-events.
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Empowering Women’s Health: Annual Wellness Day Returns to Pennington Biomedical March 7
The Irene W. Pennington Wellness Day for Women returns to Pennington Biomedical Research Center on Saturday, March 7, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring a day of health screenings, services and other activities for participants from across the capital region. Registration is now open and can be accessed on the Pennington Biomedical website.
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Bariatric Surgery Benefits Extend Across Socioeconomic Lines
Nonmedical factors drive up to 60 percent of health outcomes, and for people with type 2 diabetes (T2D), social determinants of health factors like poverty, food insecurity, and unstable housing can derail even the best treatment plans. Now, a long-term study led by investigators at Joslin Diabetes Center finds that bariatric metabolic surgery is more effective at glycemic and weight control than medical and lifestyle interventions for people with T2D, even in the setting of social vulnerability.
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