Oxytocin for weight, blood pressure, and metabolism in diet-related obesity
Official title: Oxytocin Signaling in the Control of Cardiometabolic Function in Diet-Induced Obesity
Funded at VA Puget Sound Healthcare System · NIH-11264885 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores whether the hormone oxytocin can reduce appetite, boost calorie burning, and improve blood pressure and metabolic health for adults with diet-related obesity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Puget Sound Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2018 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX004102-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11264885 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be adults with obesity related to diet and metabolic problems, including those with adult-onset (type 2) diabetes or high blood pressure linked to excess weight.
✕Less likely to help
People without diet-related obesity (for example, lean individuals), children, pregnant people, or those with certain unstable heart conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
You would be hearing about research that looks at how oxytocin, a naturally occurring hormone, influences appetite, energy use, and heart and blood pressure control in obesity. The team uses animal models and lab-based studies to map brain circuits that link oxytocin neurons to control of brown fat, heart rate, and blood pressure. Findings from those experiments are used to guide ideas for treatments that could be tested in people. The work aims to connect basic biology to therapies that might help adults with obesity and related diabetes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to oxytocin-based treatments that help people with diet-related obesity lose weight and improve blood pressure and metabolic health.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies and some early human work have shown oxytocin can reduce food intake, increase energy expenditure, and improve cardiometabolic measures, though larger clinical trials remain limited.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Puget Sound Healthcare System
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Blevins, James Ernest — VA Puget Sound Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Blevins, James Ernest
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.