Science Desk, Apr 27 (EFE).-
Obesity can leave a lasting memory in the body’s immune system, with effects that may persist for up to a decade after weight loss, potentially prolonging the risk of related diseases, according to a new research.
The study, published in EMBO Reports and led by the University of Birmingham, found that obesity alters immune cells through a process known as “DNA methylation,” effectively giving them a long-term “memory” of the condition.
Researchers focused on helper T cells, a key component of the immune system. In people with obesity, these cells develop molecular changes that can remain for five to 10 years after weight loss, causing the body to behave as if it was still overweight.
This lingering effect may impair essential immune functions, including clearing cellular waste and regulating immune aging, the authors said. As a result, people who lose weight could remain at increased risk of conditions linked to obesity, such as Type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
“Our findings show that obesity is associated with durable epigenetic modifications that influence immune cell behavior,” said lead author Belinda Nedjai of Queen Mary University of London.
“This suggests that the immune system retains a molecular record of past metabolic exposures, which may have implications for long-term disease risk and recovery.”
To better understand the impact, researchers analyzed immune cells from several groups, including people with obesity receiving weight-loss treatments, patients with Alstrom syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes early-onset obesity, and healthy individuals.
They also studied participants undergoing a 10-week exercise program and patients having hip or knee surgery, alongside experiments in mice fed a high-fat diet.
“The findings suggest that short-term weight loss may not immediately reduce the risk of some disease conditions associated with obesity,” said co-author Claudio Mauro of the University of Birmingham.
However, the effects are not permanent. Sustained weight management over several years may gradually erase this “obesity memory,” although more research is needed to determine how to fully reverse it.
The study also points to possible treatments to speed up the process, including drugs known as SGLT2 inhibitors, which may reduce inflammation and help the immune system clear damaged cells.
Researchers say such therapies could eventually complement existing weight-loss strategies to lower long-term disease risk. EFE
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