New GLP-1 Agonist Succeeds in Phase III; PFAS Chemicals & COVID-19

The highest dose of the once-weekly investigational GLP-1 receptor agonist tirzepatide helped people with type 2 diabetes achieve a 2.07% HbA1c reduction and an 11% drop in body weight in the 40-week phase III SURPASS program, Eli Lilly announced.

Drinks with sucrose led to less efficient postprandial satiation and produced lower levels of appetite-regulating hormones than drinks sweetened with glucose. (The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism)

Preliminary research suggested that greater exposure to the endocrine-disrupting polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances — and more specifically perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) found in drinking water — may increase the risk of more severe COVID-19 illness. (The Intercept)

In related news, people with type 1 diabetes saw a nearly four times higher chance of hospitalization from COVID-19 and a 3.3-times higher odds for a more severe case. (Diabetes Care)

Following bariatric surgery, people who engaged in exercise had higher levels of bone mineral density in the lumbar spine than people who didn’t. (Journal of Bone and Mineral Research)

When a new convenience store opened, kids close by tended to gain weight. “We found that community food environment in urban neighborhoods matters for children’s weight outcomes, especially as it relates to small stores located near children’s homes,” said study author Michael Yedidia, PhD, of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in a statement. (Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)

The Endocrine Society applauded the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on its 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule released last week.

Researchers at City of Hope in California announced they are recruiting trial participants to investigate a type 1 diabetes vaccine that uses the individual’s own immune cells combined with a beta cell protein and vitamin D3.