Geisinger Health System launches obesity institute

DANVILLE, PA. – Geisinger scientists and physicians have secured seed funding from Geisinger Clinic to support the translation of obesity research into clinical medicine to benefit patients. The funds will launch the Geisinger Obesity Institute, a collaborative effort between researchers at the Sigfried and Janet Weis Center for Research, the Henry Hood Center for Health Research, Geisinger Center for Clinical Studies, Geisinger Ventures, and Geisinger clinic physicians.

The institute will facilitate the design, development and execution of translational genetic and epidemiological studies that bridge the gap between basic-science research and clinical studies. More specifically, the goal of the institute will be to prevent, treat and cure obesity by identifying patients at high risk for complications or best-suited to a specific treatment.

For example, institute scientists are working to develop a blood test that would help identify individuals who are at greatest risk for fatty liver disease, a condition associated with morbid obesity that frequently results in liver transplant. Identifying the genetic profile of at-risk adults may lead to an altering of therapies to prevent or reduce the disease’s impacts. An additional study aims to identify a genetic variation that predicts the response to weight loss therapies. Institute scientists are evaluating whether knowing this genetic information reduces the time it takes to achieve a successful weight loss outcome.

“We are thrilled to receive this generous grant from the Geisinger Foundation,” said the institute’s director, Christopher Still, DO, a nationally recognized obesity medicine expert. “Launching this collaborative effort will help us efficiently and cost-effectively apply existing and emerging research to clinical data. The institute will also help keep Geisinger at the forefront of obesity research.”
In addition to Still, the leadership team will include a board of obesity experts – academic and clinical – to assist Geisinger in the building of research-based relationships with academic and research organizations. The Geisinger Obesity Institute will bring together leaders in genetics, genomics, and epidemiology, as well as related topics such as behavioral medicine.

Collaborating with Geisinger offers researchers access to the resources of one of the nation’s largest rural integrated healthcare delivery systems, including electronic healthcare records dating back to the early 1990s, a health plan with approximately 210,000 members in 40 Pennsylvania counties, a biobank of several hundred tissue specimens from consented patients, and interactions with Geisinger’s nationally recognized researchers.

“We are poised to improve healthcare for morbidly obese patients in central and northeastern Pennsylvania, as well as patients across the country,” Dr. Still explained.
Study findings from the institute may help prevent adverse outcomes of medications and surgery, predict the most effective treatment for patients, and prevent complications in high-risk subjects. 

Obesity
Obesity is one of the most complex and costly health concerns facing Americans.  Over the past fifty years, it has risen to epidemic proportions. Obesity is known to cause devastating and costly health problems, reduce life expectancy, and exacerbate other health problems. Obesity has multiple causes, including genetic predisposition, socio-economic and lifestyle factors, co-morbidities, and molecular issues. Rising obesity has been linked to increases in Type 2 diabetes, and is a significant risk factor for a number of medical conditions, including coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, some cancers, respiratory problems, dyslipidemia and many others.

According to the National Institutes of Health: “The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased for both adults and children. Data from the two national studies shows that among adults aged 20 to 74 years the prevalence of obesity increased from 15% (in the 1976–1980 survey) to 32.9% (in the 2003–04 survey).”  The annual cost of managing obesity across the country amounts to about $100 billion or approximately 5.7% of all U.S. health expenses.

A daunting 25.3% of Pennsylvanians are obese, and several counties among Geisinger’s service area have much higher rates of both obesity and diabetes. In addition, the direct increase in related medical problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, and obstructive sleep apnea, are responsible for the significant increase in the cost of care for obese individuals, roughly double the medical claims and costs for normal weight patients.

About Geisinger Health System
Founded in 1915, Geisinger Health System (Danville, PA) is one of the nation’s largest integrated health services organizations.  Serving more than two million residents throughout central and northeastern Pennsylvania, the physician-led organization is at the forefront of the country's rapidly emerging electronic health records movement. Geisinger is comprised of two medical center campuses, three hospitals, a 720-member group practice, a not-for-profit health insurance company and the Henry Hood Center for Health Research—dedicated to creating innovative new models for patient care, satisfaction and clinical outcomes. For more information, visit www.geisinger.org