Johns Hopkins Scientists alter fat metabolism in animals to prevent most common type of heart disease; the need to advance nutrition education in the training of health care professionals and recommended research to evaluate implementation and effectiveness; and more

NHLBI in the News Johns Hopkins Medicine Johns Hopkins scientists alter fat metabolism in animals to prevent most common type of heart disease Working with mice and rabbits, Johns Hopkins scientists have found a way to block abnormal cholesterol production, transport and breakdown, successfully preventing the development of atherosclerosis, the main cause of heart attacks and strokes and the number-one cause of death among humans. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute supported this research. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition  coauthored by Charlotte A. Pratt, Ph.D., M.S., R.D., FAHA, Divison of Cardiovascular Sciences The need to advance nutrition education in the training of health care professionals and recommended research to evaluate implementation and effectiveness Nutrition is a recognized determinant in three of the top four leading causes of death in the United States. However, many health care providers are not adequately trained to address lifestyle recommendations that include nutrition and physical activity behaviors in a manner that could mitigate disease development or progression. This article reports the present status of nutrition and physical activity education for health care professionals, evaluates the current pedagogic models, and underscores the urgent need to realign and synergize these models to reflect evidence-based and outcomes-focused education. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition  Introduction to nutrition education in training medical and other health care professionals   coauthored by Charlotte A. Pratt, Ph.D., M.S., R.D., FAHA, Divison of Cardiovascular Sciences The impetus for this supplement issue was a meeting entitled “Future Directions for Implementing Nutrition across the Continuum of Medical Education, Training, and Research,” which was convened by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, and cosponsored by the NIH Office of Disease Prevention and Division of Nutrition Research Coordination in September 2012. An important outcome of the meeting was that recommendations were made to implement nutrition across the continuum of medical and health care profession education, training, and research. Working groups met to discuss how best to effectively implement nutrition education for medical and all health care professions. This supplement issue is the result and presents the authors views of the needs and best practices for thoughtful and culturally sensitive change across the continuum of health care education. Nature Outlook Treatment: Marginal gains Emily Anthes Behavioural interventions work, but not for everyone, and weight regain is common. Are there better ways to treat obesity? “We have developed some good interventions for weight control, and those can be very effective in helping people achieve clinically significant weight loss,” says Susan Czajkowski, a research psychologist at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, and the lead project officer of the Obesity Related Behavioral Intervention (ORBIT) trials. “But we need to work on ways to help people initiate these changes in their lives and to stick with them."