A recently discovered chemical compound helped elderly mice with obesity lose weight, add muscle and strength, reduce age-related inflammation, and increase physical activity, a new study shows.
“Loss of muscle mass is typically not a concern in younger adults with obesity. However, as people age, that changes. Older adults with sarcopenic obesity suffer accelerated muscle loss. They become less active. As a result, they are at high risk for falls, stroke, heart disease, poorer quality of life and premature death,” said Christopher Axelrod, MS, Director of Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s Integrated Physiology and Molecular Medicine Laboratory.
BAM15 works by making the mitochondria, the power plants of the cell, less efficient. The result is that the mitochondria burn more energy. The researchers are reluctant to describe BAM15 as a miracle drug. More research will be needed to determine its effectiveness for people.
However, the findings about BAM15 have important implications for improving the quality of life for older adults, especially for the rapidly growing number of people with obesity. Preventing, delaying, or reversing the causes and consequences of sarcopenic obesity may allow people to live longer and healthier lives. Learn more about BAM15.