Obesity affects over one third of US adults (>72 million, with BMI ≥30 kg/m2), and the proportion of US adults with BMI ≥40 kg/m2 has doubled in the last 20 years. Obesity is associated with increased mortality through its linkage to comorbidities including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and psychosocial disturbances. Given its prevalence, impact on morbidity and mortality, and economic cost, limiting the spread of obesity and its consequences is one of the most important problems of our time.

In this proposed study, investigators will recruit participants from a wide range of body mass index (BMI), ethnicity and Diabetes risk to collect data and blood, stool and adipose tissue samples in the San Francisco bay area.

The Inflammation, Diabetes, Ethnicity and Obesity (IDEO) cohort is recruiting 350 individuals from various ethnicities, covering a spectrum of weight and Diabetes risk. The study is looking for participants between the ages of 18-75 years that are healthy with or without diabetes with a stable weight. The study will also like to include people who are slated to undergo any type of bariatric surgery for obesity or any other type of abdominal surgery at UCSF.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants will be healthy individuals between the ages of 18-75 years. These cutoffs are designed to allow inclusion of postmenopausal women, and younger/more active patients who are increasingly undergoing bariatric surgery.
• Patients with either diabetes type 2 or the metabolic syndrome will be included in the cohort.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants with chronic kidney disease (> stage 4)
• Autoimmune/inflammatory disease (e.g., Lupus, Ulcerative Colitis, etc.)
• Unstable angina, New York (NY) class III or IV congestive heart failure or myocardial infarction within 3 months of entry
• Clinically significant liver disease (e.g. Cirrhosis or liver failure)
• Weight > 450 pounds (DXA scan weight limit)
• History of organ transplant
• Treatment with chemotherapy or radiation therapy at the time of enrollment in study.
• Poorly controlled asthma (participants requiring inhaled glucocorticoids and/or oral glucocorticoids)
• Current nasal corticosteroid use (within the past month)
• Excessive alcohol or substance abuse
• Current use of anabolic steroids or testosterone for bodybuilding purposes. Testosterone use is permitted if prescribed for hypogonadism and dose stable for the past 6 months.
• Patients actively enrolled in interventional trials involving investigational agents
• Pregnant or breast-feeding women
• Appears unlikely or unable to participate in the required study procedures as assessed by the investigator, study coordinator or designee.
• History of abnormal clotting
• Previous bariatric surgery
• Anticoagulant use
• Methadone medication

IDEO Cohort participants