Visceral Obesity

This study is being done to find out if a traditional Chinese herb called Polygonatum sibiricum (Huangjing) can help reduce belly fat and improve metabolic health in adults with visceral obesity. Visceral obesity means having too much fat stored deep inside the belly, around the organs. This type of fat is linked to a higher risk of diabetes, fatty liver, and heart disease. The study will include 66 adults with visceral obesity. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: One group will receive a Polygonatum sibiricum decoction (15 grams daily) plus standard lifestyle advice on diet and exercise. The other group will receive the same lifestyle advice only. The study will last for 12 weeks. Researchers will measure changes in visceral fat area, body weight, waist size, blood sugar, blood lipids, and liver fat. They will also look at gut bacteria and related markers to better understand how Polygonatum sibiricum might work. Participation involves 4 visits to the study site over the 12-week period. All participants will receive free health assessments and dietitian guidance. The study is not a treatment but a research study to test whether this herb has potential benefits for visceral obesity.

Visceral obesity is a well-established risk factor for the development of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Epicardial fat tissue (EFT) is located on the surface of the myocardium and may directly affect cardiac function and contribute to structural and functional remodeling. According to the literature, increased EFT thickness is associated with a wide range of NCDs, disease severity, and prognosis. The aim of this study is to investigate the associations between EFT thickness and clinical and anamnestic parameters, as well as to evaluate the prognostic value of this parameter in patients aged 50-70 years from the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Studies in mice demonstrated that dietary phosphate (Pi) loading that mimic the level of US adult consumption leads to reduced spontaneous locomotor activity, exercise capacity, and reduced resting metabolic rate when in normal mice by impairing skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and fat oxidation. However, relevance of this findings in humans remains unknown.