6
NEWS
'Radical overhaul' needed
A Lancet Commission has proposed a radical overhaul of the actual
diagnosis of obesity in order to improve global healthcare by classifying it
as either 'clinical obesity' (a disease), or 'preclinical' (a health risk factor),
with the distinction based on factors beyond body mass index (BMI).
Professor Louise Baur, chair of Child & Adolescent Health at the
University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, said, "The specific aims were to
facilitate individualized assessment and care of people living with obesity
while preserving resources by reducing overdiagnosis and unnecessary
or inadequate interventions."
In recent years, many in the field have found fault with the current
BMI-based definition of obesity (> 30 for people of European descent,
or other cutoffs for specific ethnic groups), primarily because BMI alone
does not reflect a person's fat vs lean mass, fat distribution, nor overall
health. The new definition aims to overcome these limitations, as well as
settle the debate about whether obesity is a 'disease'.
The Lancet report calls first for a diagnosis of obesity via confirmation
of excess adiposity (the amount of fat stored in the body, also known
as obesity), using measures such as waist circumference or waistto-hip ratio
in addition to BMI. Next, a clinical assessment of signs
and symptoms of organ dysfunction due to obesity and/or functional
limitations determines whether the individual has the disease 'clinical
obesity' or 'preclinical obesity', a condition of health risk but not an illness
itself. The document also provides broad guidance on management for
the two obesity conditions, emphasizing a personalized and stigma-free
approach.
The Lancet Commission on Obesity comprised 56 experts in relevant
fields including endocrinology, surgery, nutrition, and public health, along
with people living with obesity. The report has been endorsed by more
than 75 medical organisations around the world.
Discovery
event
Breakthrough T1D is holding a Virtual
Discovery Event in March on the top if
of research. Taking place on Tuesday
4 March from 7-8.45pm it is dedicated
to discussing and learning more about
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) research.
The free event will delve into
the cutting-edge research being
conducted to improve life with T1D
and advance the search for cures:
from emerging technologies and
management tools to treatments
that tackle the underlying immune
attack, the event will explore how
this research is shaping the future for
those living with T1D.
There will be a variety of speakers
throughout the session, including
Breakthrough T1D staff, Breakthrough
T1D researchers, and Digibete. There
will also be a variety of T1D technology
companies sharing information on
the range of devices and technologies
available to help manage T1D, including
Abbott, Air Liquide, Dexcom, Medtrum
and Ypsomed.
To find out more, and to register,
CLICK HERE.
Engineered islets & insulin
US-based biotech company Sana
Biotechnology has released clinical
data showing that the first person
receiving engineered islets from
deceased donors is now producing
insulin without the need for
immunosuppressive drugs. This
marks a major step forward in cellbased
therapies for T1D.
Engineered islets are clusters
of cells in the pancreas, with beta
cells within these islets responsible
for producing insulin. In T1D,
the immune system attacks and
destroys these insulin-producing
cells. To combat this, Sana's trial
used islets from deceased donors,
which were genetically modified
using the company's 'hypoimmune'
technology to avoid immune
system rejection. These modified
islets were then implanted into the
muscle tissue of a person with T1D
who had volunteered to be part of
the study.
After just four weeks, the
research team found that the
person was making significantly
more insulin than before. Critically,
this was achieved without the
need for immunosuppressive
drugs and marks the first time that
engineered islets have successfully
avoided immune destruction.
The data that has been
released is the first step in this
incredibly promising research
programme, with the application of
hypoimmune technology providing
a way to protect insulin-producing
cells without such drugs.
However, islets from organ
donors are in short supply, so stem
cell-derived islets could offer a more
scalable solution for treating a larger
number of people with T1D.
To find out more, CLICK HERE.