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Query: UMLS:C0037315 (sleep apnea)
 8,000 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Overweight and obesity represent a rapidly growing threat to the health of populations in an increasing number of countries. Indeed they are now so common that they are replacing more traditional problems such as undernutrition and infectious diseases as the most significant causes of ill-health. Obesity comorbidities include coronary heart disease, hypertension and stroke, certain types of cancer, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, gallbladder disease, dyslipidaemia, osteoarthritis and gout, and pulmonary diseases, including sleep apnoea. In addition, the obese suffer from social bias, prejudice and discrimination, on the part not only of the general public but also of health professionals, and this may make them reluctant to seek medical assistance. WHO therefore convened a Consultation on obesity to review current epidemiological information, contributing factors and associated consequences, and this report presents its conclusions and recommendations. In particular, the Consultation considered the system for classifying overweight and obesity based on the body mass index, and concluded that a coherent system is now available and should be adopted internationally. The Consultation also concluded that the fundamental causes of the obesity epidemic are sedentary lifestyles and high-fat energy-dense diets, both resulting from the profound changes taking place in society and the behavioural patterns of communities as a consequence of increased urbanization and industrialization and the disappearance of traditional lifestyles. A reduction in fat intake to around 20-25% of energy is necessary to minimize energy imbalance and weight gain in sedentary individuals. While there is strong evidence that certain genes have an influence on body mass and body fat, most do not qualify as necessary genes, i.e. genes that cause obesity whenever two copies of the defective allele are present; it is likely to be many years before the results of genetic research can be applied to the problem. Methods for the treatment of obesity are described, including dietary management, physical activity and exercise, and antiobesity drugs, with gastrointestinal surgery being reserved for extreme cases.
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PMID:Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. Report of a WHO consultation. 1123 59

Overweight and obesity have been rising dramatically worldwide and are associated with numerous co-morbidities such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, certain cancers, and sleep apnea. In fact, obesity is an independent risk factor for CVD and CVD risks have also been documented in obese children. The majority of overweight and obese patients who achieve a significant short-term weight loss do not maintain their lower bodyweight in the long term. This may be due to a lack of intensive counseling and support from a facilitating environment including dedicated healthcare professionals such as nutritionists, kinesiologists, and behavior specialists. As a result, there has been a considerable focus on the role of adjunctive therapy such as pharmacotherapy for long-term weight loss and weight maintenance. Beyond an unfavorable risk factor profile, overweight and obesity also impact upon heart structure and function. Since the beginning, the quest for weight loss drugs has encountered warnings from regulatory agencies and the withdrawal from the market of efficient but unsafe medications. Fenfluramine was withdrawn from the market because of unacceptable pulmonary and cardiac adverse effects. Nevertheless, there is extensive research directed at the development of new anti-obesity compounds. The effect of these molecules on CVD risk factors has been studied and reported but information regarding their impact on the cardiovascular system is sparse. Thus, instead of looking at the benefit of weight loss on metabolism and risk factor management, this article discusses the impact of weight loss medications on the cardiovascular system. The potential interaction of available and potential new weight loss drugs with heart function and structure is reviewed.
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PMID:Impact of weight-loss medications on the cardiovascular system: focus on current and future anti-obesity drugs. 1769 68

Over the past 20 years obesity has become a worldwide concern of frightening proportion. The World Health Organization estimates that there are over 400 million obese and over 1.6 billion overweight adults, a figure which is projected to almost double by 2015. This is not a disease restricted to adults - at least 20 million children under the age of 5 years were overweight in 2005 (WHO 2006). Overweight and obesity lead to serious health consequences including coronary artery disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes, heart failure, dyslipidemia, hypertension, reproductive and gastrointestinal cancers, gallstones, fatty liver disease, osteoarthritis and sleep apnea (Padwal et al 2003). Modest weight loss in the obese of between 5% and 10% of bodyweight is associated with improvements in cardiovascular risk profiles and reduced incidence of type 2 diabetes (Goldstein 1992; Avenell et al 2004; Padwal and Majumdar 2007). Orlistat, a gastric and pancreatic lipase inhibitor that reduces dietary fat absorption by approximately 30%, has been approved for use for around ten years (Zhi et al 1994; Hauptman 2000). There is now a growing body of evidence to suggest that Orlistat assists weight loss and that it may also have additional benefits. The aim of this review is to provide a brief update on the current literature studying the efficacy, safety and significance of the use of Orlistat in clinical practice.
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PMID:Obesity management: update on orlistat. 1820 Aug 2

The rapidly increasing rates of obesity among women of childbearing age, not only in the United States but also across the globe, contribute to increased risks during pregnancy and childbirth. Overweight and obesity are quantified by body mass index (BMI) for clinical purposes. In 2010, 31.9% of U.S. women aged 20 to 39 years met the definition of obesity, a BMI of 30 kg/m or greater. Across the life span, obesity is associated with increased risks of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, and other diseases. During pregnancy, increasing levels of prepregnancy BMI are associated with increases in both maternal and fetal/neonatal risks. This article reviews current knowledge about obesity in pregnancy and health risks related to increased maternal BMI, addresses weight stigma as a barrier to care and interventions that have evidence of benefit, and discusses the development of policies and guidelines to improve care.
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PMID:Obesity in pregnancy: addressing risks to improve outcomes. 2447 50