Health
Drug for Bladder Problems May Help Control Weight
(HealthDay News) — A drug already used to treat overactive bladder may also someday help control weight by boosting the metabolic powers of brown fat, a small study suggests.
While white fat stores energy, brown fat burns energy to generate body heat. In the process, it can help maintain body weight and prevent obesity, at least in animals, previous studies have shown.
In the new study, researchers gave 12 healthy, lean young men a high dose of the drug mirabegron (Myrbetriq), and found that it boosted their metabolic rate.
The drug “activates the brown fat cells to burn calories and generate heat,” said study researcher Dr. Aaron Cypess. He is section head of translational physiology at the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
