Obesity Hormone
| Updated: 12/01/2010 9:32 pm |
Published: 12/01/2010 5:29 pm |
A UAMS study on puberty and reproduction has led to the discovery of a potential trigger for adult onset obesity.
Doctors examining a hormone called leptin found it not only controls growth in the pituitary gland, it also plays a key role in breaking down fat. Doctors removed the leptin receptor in mice to find its impact on reproduction.
However, they found those mice became overweight at adulthood. They hope this discovery leads to new strategies in fighting obesity, especially in adolescnts.
World AIDS Day
December 1st is World AIDS Day, and the Clinton Presidential Center is honoring those who have lost their lives to the disease.
Starting at midnight, volunteers began reading aloud the names of people who lost their lives to AIDS. In addition, the Clinton Center is displaying the single largest traveling section of the AIDS memorial quilt. The panels are hand-sewn by friends and family of AIDS victims.
An estimated 1.1 million Americans are living with AIDS right now.
Doctor on Call
Sara from Bauxite asks: “My throat feels sore and when I cough it makes it worse. Do I have strep throat?”
Dr. Oksana Melnyk, while being unable to diagnose via e-mail, answers: “Strep throat can’t last long and doesn’t cause a cough. More likely you have reflux symptoms with a consistently sore throat and cough. If anti-reflux meds don’t work, you should see a specialist and have them run tests.”
