Weight Control & High Blood Pressure
Weight Control Study Introduction
Many people who have high blood pressure are also overweight, which compounds
their health problems. Doctors know that even modest weight loss can help
control high blood pressure, but even those with access to professional
weight loss support have difficulty losing weight and keeping it off.
Weight Control Blood Pressure Study
Methods
Almost 600 overweight, middle-aged men and women, all with mild to moderate
high blood pressure, participated in an organized weight control program.
Their goal was to lose at least 4.5 kg (10 lb) over a 6-month period,
and to maintain the weight loss over the next 3 years. All received individual
nutrition counseling at the start of the program, and were then encouraged
to attend regularly scheduled classes that offered additional instruction
and moral support. Blood pressure was measured at several points during
the study.
Weight Control Blood Pressure Study
Results
The group's original weight loss efforts were impressive; they lost an
average 4.4 kg (almost 10 lb) during the first 6 months of the program.
Blood pressure declined as well, with an average 3.7 mm Hg reduction in
systolic pressure (the top number) and an average 2.7 mm Hg reduction
in diastolic pressure (the bottom number). But as participation in the
organized program waned, so did weight loss efforts. Eighteen months into
the program, average weight loss had shrunk to 2 kg (4.4 lb). At the three-year
point, the group was only an average .2 kg (approx. 1/2 lb) lighter than
they were at the start of the program. And as participants regained lost
weight, their blood pressure measurements rose as well.
Weight Control Blood Pressure Study
Conclusion
As expected, the people who lost the most weight had the greatest reductions
in blood pressure. But, unfortunately those successful at weight loss
were in the minority in this study. Less than one-fifth of study participants
were able to lose weight and maintain it for 3 years. About one-third
managed to lose weight, but had regained it by the end of the study. Most
discouraging, though, is that almost one-half lost no significant weight
at all. Participants' willingness to "stick with the program"
seemed to affect their weight loss efforts. They were not required to
attend a specific number of weight management sessions, and, as the program
progressed, participation in the follow-up sessions began to drop off.
But those who lost the most weight, at least in the initial stages of
the program, were the ones most willing to commit to regular participation
in the follow-up sessions.
Source: Long-term weight loss and changes in blood pressure: results of
the Trials of Hypertension Prevention, Phase II VJ. Stevens, E. Obarzanek,
NR. Cook, Annals of Internal Medicine., 2001, vol. 134, pp. 1-11
Articles to Help You Lose Weight
|
|
|
com