Good news! New gastric balloon pill may help reduce
obesity without surgery
Shedding those extra kilos may become as easy as
popping a pill. Researchers have developed a new gastric balloon that can be
swallowed, rather than surgically inserted, effectively inducing weight
loss. “It may be a safe and effective way to induce substantial weight
loss as well as curb obesity,” say researchers.
Once the pill is swallowed, the gastric balloon swells
up in the stomach with the (50 ml) water used to pop the pill. Thus inducing a
feeling of satiety, restricting the quantum of calories a person can
consume. It also reduces risk and discomfort caused by the common
intragastric balloons (IGBs) — weight loss devices that require endoscopy and
sedation.“Because the balloon does not require endoscopy, surgery or
anaesthesia, this may make it suitable for a larger population of obese
patients not responding to diet/lifestyle treatment,” said Roberta Ienca from
Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
For the study, presented at European Congress on
Obesity (ECO) in Porto, Portugal, the team examined 42 (29 men and 13 women)
obese individuals (BMI 30-45 kg/m2) who had failed to lose weight by diet alone
and who had refused other IGB treatment, because of the need of an endoscopy
and/or anaesthesia, and were offered the balloon.
The balloons remained in the stomach for 16 weeks,
during which patients were put on a very low-carbohydrate and low-calorie diet.
At the end of 16 weeks, an internal release valve automatically drains
out the balloon from the body. The results showed that th participants
shed more than 15 kg, on an average, which amounted to 31 per cent of excess
weight. No serious side effects were reported. Significant reductions were
also observed in co-morbidities such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high
cholesterol, and metabolic syndrome, the researchers said. “The balloon
appears to be a safe and effective weight loss method. Furthermore, the
introduction of a very low-carbohydrate and low-calorie diet improves weight
loss,” Ienca added.
22.05.2017
Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of
character
Albert
Einstein
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