Obesity and stress: endocrine and social aspects of the problem in the modern Russian society

The purpose of the article is to consider stress as one of the etiological factors of obesity and metabolic syndrome. The review discusses both endocrine and social aspects of stress as a syndrome of adaptation to the current situation in Russian society. It is emphasized that lifestyle factors contributing to the growth of overweight are gaining popularity in the society, and the high incidence of obesity is directly related to the level, quality and lifestyle of a modern man. Constant nervous tension, negative emotions, fear in conditions of abundance of food directly contributes to obesity, which is associated with a large number of other serious diseases. Chronic hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and chronic hypersecretion of cortisol, if persistence is not a purely physiological condition. Endocrine mechanisms mediating the development of metabolic disorders on the background of chronic stress include activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system, changes in eating behavior, hyper-production of glucagon and triglyceride accumulation in visceral fat depots. Processes and social changes occurring in modern society contribute to the construction of everyday socio-cultural environment characterized by increased stress. Chronic stress in combination with physical inactivity, the result of improper lifestyle of modern people, becomes an effective factor contributing to the spread among the population of Russia not only overweight, but also various forms of obesity. It is emphasized that at the state level there is an urgent need to adopt and implement effective programs and mechanisms to ensure the population meets modern requirements and environmental standards of healthy food, rationalization of food distribution among the population, the formation of a culture of food consumption, improving the quality of life of the population and the culture of a healthy lifestyle, teaching the population the correct stress-coping behavior

Therapy of obesity by sibutramin: polymorphisms of TPH2 and GNB3 genes and decrease of body weight

Aims. To study of the polymorphisms of the TPN2 and GNB3 genes in obese patients and their effect on weight loss in patients on sibutramine therapy. Materials and methods. The research study included 118 patients with exogenous-constitutional obesity who received Reduxin (sibutramine + CMC) at the dose of 10 mg. Term follow-up was 3 months. A genetic study was performed to assess ТРН2 and GNB3 gene polymorphisms. The response to the therapy was evaluated after 3 months by the dynamics of body weight. Results. In the study the G703T polymorphism of the GNB3 gene showed that during 3 months of observation, carriers of the TT genotype had a greater decrease in body weight in comparison with carriers of the allele C – -8 kg (-12; -5) vs. -5 kg (-8; -3), p = 0.018. In carriers of different variants of the genotype of the TPH2 gene (polymorphism C825T), there was no difference in body weight dynamics with sibutramine therapy. There was no correlation between the foresaid polymorphisms of the TPH2 and GNB3 genes with the indices of blood pressure and heart rate. Conclusions. 1. The result of sibutramin therapy may depend on genetic factors: in carriers of the TT-genotype C825T of the GNB3 gene the body weight loss was higher than among the carriers of the C allele. 2. Changes in blood pressure and heart rate did not show any statistically significant relationship with polymorphisms of the TPH2 and GNB3 genes

Sputnik V Effectiveness against Hospitalization with COVID-19 during Omicron Dominance

Mass vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 affected more than 90% of the population in most developed countries. The new epidemiologic wave of COVID-19 has been ongoing since the end of 2021. It is caused by a virus variant B.1.1.529, also known as “Omicron” and its descendants. The effectiveness of major vaccines against Omicron is not known. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the Sputnik V vaccine. The main goal is to assess its protection against hospitalization in the period of Omicron dominance. We conducted our study based on a large clinical center in Moscow (Russia) where 1112 patients were included. We used the case-population method to perform the calculations. The data we obtained indicate that the Omicron variant causes at least 90% of infections in the studied cohort. The effectiveness of protection against hospitalization with COVID-19 in our study was 85.9% (95% CI 83.0–88.0%) for those who received more than one dose. It was 87.6% (95% CI 85.4–89.5%) and 97.0% (95% CI 95.9–97.8%) for those who received more than two or three doses. The effectiveness in cases of more severe forms was higher than for less severe ones. Thus, present study indicates the high protective efficacy of vaccination against hospitalization with COVID-19 in case of Omicron lineage