The device was not long ago approved by the US FDA, toys with the nerve pathway between the brain and the stomach

Jan 30, 2015 07:41 GMT  ·  By

Presently, well over 30% of the guys and gals living in the US qualify as obese. This means that they risk developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even some forms of cancer. Besides, their waistline makes them more vulnerable to strokes.

The thing is that, as threatening to their wellbeing as their extra weight is, the fact remains that plenty of these obese individuals find it downright impossible to slim down simply by dieting and going to the gym at least a couple of times per week.

Looking to lend these guys and gals a helping hand, EnteroMedics Inc., a medical device company based in the city of Saint Paul in Minnesota, developed a fairly quirky gadget that it says can block hunger and, in doing so, promote weight loss.

How this one-of-a-kind device works

The gadget that EnteroMedics Inc. developed in an attempt to help curb obesity rates in the US is known as the Maestro Rechargeable System. Earlier this month, the device was officially approved by the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The medical company that developed it explains that the gadget is designed to help obese individuals gain control of their feelings of hunger and fullness by toying with the nerve pathway between the brain and the stomach.

Thus, the Maestro Rechargeable System comprises an electrical pulse generator, a few wire leads and electrodes that surgeons must implant into the patient's abdomen. The device serves to deliver electrical pulses to the nerve cells in the abdomen.

These pulses that the device fires at people's guts disturb the regular communication patterns between the brain and the stomach. As a result, patients no longer experience crippling hunger and have an easier time controlling their appetite.

“Obesity and its related medical conditions are major public health problems. Medical devices can help physicians and patients to develop comprehensive obesity treatment plans,” William Maisel with the US FDA explained the decision to make this device available to the general public, as cited by Science Daily.

The device worked wonders in clinical trials

Before being approved by health experts with the US FDA, the Maestro Rechargeable System was tested on a group of 233 volunteers whose body mass index (BMI) was one of 35 to 45 and who all had at least one obesity-related health condition.

Of the people who were fitted with this device, an impressive 38.3% managed to lose at least 25% of their excess weight over the course of just one year. Another 52.5% successfully lost 20% of their excess weight, some even a tad more.

In its report detailing the outcome of this clinical trial, EnteroMedics Inc. lists nausea, vomiting, pain, heartburns, problems swallowing and surgical complications as the most serious adverse effects associated with the use of its Maestro Rechargeable System.

Presently, the device can be used to treat obesity patients over the age of 18 who have failed to lose weight by dieting and exercising, whose BMI is somewhere between 35 and 45, and who are struggling with at least one obesity-related health condition.

The device works by blocking communication between the brain and the stomach
The device works by blocking communication between the brain and the stomach

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Well over 30% of the adults living in the US are obese
The device works by blocking communication between the brain and the stomach
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