Cardiovascular Risk and Weight Loss -
Study
Weight Loss Study Aim
To investigate relationships between changes in weight and changes in
cardiovascular risk factors in adults, taking intentionality of weight
loss into account. Subjects included
a total of 1773 French men and 2316 women aged 45 years and over.
Weight Loss Study Measurements
Weight, height, blood pressure, serum total cholesterol and fasting blood
glucose were measured at baseline and after a 2-year follow-up. Self-reported
dieting in order to lose weight, smoking status, leisure-time physical
activity, health events and current treatments were assessed through questionnaires.
Weight Loss Study Results
In multivariate analyses, weight change was positively associated with
changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and with changes in serum
total cholesterol, after adjustment for age, baseline level of each cardiovascular
risk factor and current treatments. For example, in men, a weight loss
of 5 kg was associated with a decrease of 2.5 mmHg in systolic blood pressure
and of 1.5 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure. Taking into account self-reported
dieting did not modify these associations.
Weight Loss Study Conclusion
In both genders, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and serum cholesterol
increased with weight gain and decreased with weight loss, independently
of the intentionality to lose weight. At the population level, modest
weight loss may have a substantial impact on cardiovascular risk, and
preventing even modest weight gain in adults is an important goal in terms
of public health.
Source: International Journal of Obesity
(2002)
Obesity Help
|
com