International Journal of Obesity

ObjectivesTo estimate potential launch prices of generic semaglutide following patent expiry from 2026 and to quantify the global obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) burden in countries where generic access may become possible. MethodsWe used World Bank population data and World Obesity and Diabetes Atlas prevalence estimates to calculate obesity and T2DM burden in countries where semaglutide patents expire in 2026 or were not filed. Patent status was identified using MedsPaL and cross-checked w...

BackgroundPacked lunches are a common feature of early childhood food provision, yet evidence describing their nutritional composition in early years settings remains limited. Understanding the foods provided during this developmental period is important, given the potential influence of early dietary exposures on later health. AimTo characterise the composition, nutritional quality, cost, and dietary patterns of packed lunches brought from home in Early Childhood Education and Care settings, a...

Abstract Background: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) optimizes perioperative management for colorectal cancer (CRC), improving short-term outcomes, but its impact on long-term outcomes remains inconclusive, supporting the need for this meta-analysis. This study evaluates the effect of perioperative ERAS (therapy-focused) on 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year postoperative survival in patients with CRC. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following a pre-registered protocol in ...

The use of semaglutide (SE), a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) with glucose-lowering and weight-loss effects, has risen rapidly, particularly among women of reproductive age. While preclinical studies suggest benefits for ovarian function via the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, its impact on the endometrial-embryo interface remains unclear. Here, we show that GLP-1R is dynamically expressed in fertile human endometrium, restricted to epithelial cells and markedly upregula...

This study compared the effects of a 25-min nap opportunity and a 10-min non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) condition on perceptual, cognitive, and physical performance in physically active young adults. Sixty participants (26 female, 34 male; 22 {+/-} 4 years) were randomly assigned to one of three groups (nap, NSDR, control; n = 20 each). All groups completed identical assessments immediately, 20 min, and 40 min post-intervention. Mixed-effects models, adjusted for sex, prior-night sleep, and weekly p...

Background: Quadriceps weakness may reduce sagittal plane shock absorption during landing, shifting load toward the frontal plane and increasing knee abduction moment (KAM), a biomechanical risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between isokinetic quadriceps strength and peak KAM during drop vertical jump landing in adolescent athletes. Study Design: Secondary analysis of previously collected data. Methods: He...

Objective To test the effectiveness of a postpartum behavioural intervention delivered by automated text messaging in reducing weight. Design Two parallel group, multicentre, randomised controlled trial. Setting Recruitment from five areas across the United Kingdom (Belfast, Bradford, Stirling, London and Cardiff) through healthcare and community pathways, including social media. Participants A diverse sample of 892 women between 6 weeks and 24 months postpartum, aged 18 years or more and with a...

BackgroundEmerging research indicates that light exposure may influence sleep quality. Identifying key light-exposure behaviours associated with poor sleep quality in athletes may allow practitioners to efficiently screen for sleep difficulties and prioritise athletes for further assessment. Translating these findings into a practical screening tool could enhance willingness of high-performance professionals to monitor sleep and light exposure in athletes. HypothesisKey predictor variables iden...

Background and AimsDespite advances in reperfusion and medical therapy, survivors of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remain at risk for adverse left ventricular remodeling (LVR), a precursor to heart failure. Building on prior work outlining 12-month biomarker trajectories linked to early ventricular dysfunction, we aimed to assess whether these circulating biomarkers predict long-term adverse LVR. MethodsWe prospectively enrolled 155 patients experiencing their first AMI. Clinical, biochemic...

Study question: How is glycodelin, a glycoprotein secreted by reproductive tissues, causally related to reproductive diseases and traits? Summary answer: We present evidence for a causal role of sex hormones in determining glycodelin levels, but limited evidence that glycodelin subsequently causally impacts reproductive traits. What is known already: Glycodelin is expressed in female and male reproductive tissues and has four glycoforms (-A, -C, -F and -S), with the glycosylation pattern determi...

BackgroundHypertension affects over 30% of adults and is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It often presents without obvious symptoms, meaning that, although effective therapies exist, hypertension remains widely undiagnosed and insufficiently treated. Genomics-based prediction methods have shown only modest benefits for these disorders, but proteomic markers have demonstrated potential for greater predictive and clinical value. MethodsWe applied a novel machine-learning based...

Background and aims Iron deficiency (ID) and myocardial iron depletion (MID) are causally linked to heart failure (HF) in the general population and in preclinical models. ID is common amongst pregnant women, but its impact on cardiac adaptations to pregnancy is unknown. This study examines that impact, and its potential relevance to peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). Methods. We provided female mice with iron-replete or iron-deficient diets, and monitored cardiac function and morphology longitud...

BackgroundA coronary artery calcium (CAC) score of 0 is widely considered to indicate low short- to intermediate-term risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) and is frequently used to defer lipid-lowering therapy. However, a subset of individuals with CAC=0 still experience events, highlighting residual risk not captured by imaging alone. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) quantify lifelong inherited susceptibility, but conventional approaches rely on predefined ancestry labels despite human genetic div...

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) affects 11.1% of the global population, underscoring the need for biomarkers that inform treatment response and glycemic outcomes. We evaluated the association between the FTO variant rs9939609-A and glycemic control in a Mexican population. A total of 174 individuals living with T2D from Merida and Sisal, Yucatan, were included, of whom 85% were receiving oral hypoglycemic agents as main treatment. Glycemic control was defined cross-sectionally as good ([≤]130 mg/dL, n=...

BackgroundNeonatal jaundice management increasingly relies on transcutaneous bilirubinometry (TcB), yet discrepancies with serum bilirubin (TSB) have limited its clinical reliability. This study introduces Skin Residual Bilirubin Volume (SRBV) as a physiologically grounded framework to enhance TcB interpretation. ObjectiveTo evaluate SRBV as an explanation for TcB-TSB discordance and assess whether incorporating SRBV improves the interpretability and reliability of TcB measurements during diagn...

Background Acute malnutrition remains a major public health challenge among children under five in Malawi due to undetected and untreated cases. While several policies and programmes are in place, they face significant resource input and implementation constraints. In this study, we evaluate the potential health impact and cost-effectiveness of three interventions designed to address constraints along the care pathway in childhood acute malnutrition management. These include improving early reco...

BackgroundInhaled combusted cannabis and co-use of combusted cannabis and nicotine electronic cigarettes (nECIGs) are on the rise, yet their long-term cardiovascular risk is unclear due to the high prevalence of confounders in observational human studies. Using primary plasma and monocytes and a novel ex vivo mechanistic model of two early steps in atherogenesis, this study examined whether chronic combusted cannabis use is associated with atherogenic changes, as estimated by 1) monocyte transen...

Abstract Introduction Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an important complication of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Current incident CVD-prediction models use single baseline measurements and achieve moderate performance in people with T2D, with C-indices around 0.7. Modern healthcare registries contain repeated measurements of HbA1c, LDL-cholesterol and eGFR, which could carry incremental predictive value. However, the added value of trajectory measures for CVD-risk prediction remains unclear. We aimed t...

Biological ageing begins before birth, with early-life exposures shaping late-life health. These exposures drive health inequities early, yet specific exposures and the composition of the ageing exposome remain largely undefined. This gap may persist as the field lacks agnostic investigations accounting for non-linearity, interactions and subtle signals. We aimed to identify exposures predictive of epigenetic ageing accumulated during childhood and adolescence and explore the composition of the...

ObjectivesGrowth Mindset and Grit have been proposed as key psychological resources for resilience and adaptation, yet their manifestation and social distribution in later life remain underexplored. This study examines the structure, distribution, and correlates of Growth Mindset and Grit in older adulthood using proxy indicators in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). MethodsProxy indicators reflecting learning behaviour, personality traits, affect, and beliefs were used to derive ...