DOC News February 1, 2007
Volume 4 Number 2 p. 11
© 2007 American Diabetes Association
Helping Obese Older Adults Be Heart-Healthy
A program of lifestyle intervention that includes dietary changes and
exercise can help obese older adults reduce their risk of coronary heart
disease, according to a recently reported study.
Researchers studied lifestyle interventions in a 6-month controlled trial
in which 17 obese outpatients, 
65 years, with a body mass index (BMI) of
30, were randomized to engage in treatment, while 10 control subjects
received no special
therapy.
The lifestyle intervention included a balanced diet to provide an energy
deficit of 750 calories per day, with about 30% of energy as fat, 50% as
carbohydrates, and 20% as protein. Participants met weekly with a dietitian
experienced in group behavioral therapy for obese people. Participants also
engaged in exercise-training sessions 3 days per week. The sessions, each
about 90 minutes long, were supervised by a physical therapist.
According to researchers, body weight decreased by 8.8% in the treatment
group, while the control group had no change. The treatment group also had
significant improvement in waist size, plasma glucose, systolic and diastolic
blood pressure, and serum triglycerides.
The number of people with metabolic syndrome—a cluster of symptoms
including a large waist size, hypertension, glucose intolerance, and
dyslipidemia—decreased by 59% among those in the treatment group, while
participants in the control group showed no change.
Although the study was relatively brief and included a limited number of
subjects, it provides intriguing evidence that an intensive program of
lifestyle interventions can significantly reduce cardiometabolic risk factors
in obese older adults.
Villareal DT, Miller BV, Banks M, et al.: Effect of
lifestyle intervention on metabolic coronary heart disease risk factors in
obese older adults. Am J Clin Nutr 84: 1317–1323, 2006[Abstract/Free Full Text]
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