Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

Treatment with the probiotic supplement BL-11 was found to significantly increase height in children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) — a new finding that researchers say has “vital implications for early treatment in PWS.” The probiotic supplement also lessened the symptoms of the rare genetic disease among the children…

Consumption of a high-protein diet shifts muscle cells’ metabolism to use fats rather than carbohydrates as an energy source in children and young adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a pilot study in Canada suggests. The findings support the need for more studies to assess the implications of different types…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has told Soleno Therapeutics that an additional clinical trial “will be necessary” to support any future application seeking approval of diazoxide choline controlled release (DCCR) tablets for people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), the company said. Soleno had submitted an updated analysis…

The antidepressant sertraline may help control temper outbursts in people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a small study suggests. Among 13 patients who completed six months of treatment with sertraline, the researchers reported a greater than 90% decrease in the frequency of temper outbursts. Treatment over six months also…

As children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) age, gains in weight are among concerns that considerably affect both their quality of life and that of family members, with rising stress and levels of caregiver burden evident, a survey of small group of parents reports. The study based on parent responses,…

A three-week program based on Mediterranean diet and exercise, and performed three times in six years, led to significant weight loss and reduced cholesterol levels in adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), an Italian study reports. The study, “Changes of Body Weight and Body Composition in Obese…

The frequency of skin picking and anxiety in people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) depends on their specific type of genetic defects, an eight-year study found. Treatment with growth hormone (GH) therapy increased the prevalence of anxiety to a different extent in specific genetic groups, the data showed. The study,…

Stress levels of parents of children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) increase as the children age, and are especially high during their teenage years, according to a study. The study, “Parenting stress in families of children with Prader–Willi syndrome,” was published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics.

Sleep apnea — a potentially serious disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep — affects more than 80% of children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), according to the results of a Chinese study. Central sleep apnea or CSA, a type of the sleep disorder that’s…

Text messages may help to track changes in the weight and body mass index (BMI) of people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), an observational study reported. Most study patients were “highly compliant” with using this mobile technology, and it might help in clinical trials of potential treatments or with…