NIH Trial Demonstrates That Even Modest Weight Loss Improves Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Overweight/Obese People with Type 2 Diabetes

29/06/07 The 1-year results of a clinical study funded by the National Institutes of Health confirm that following a calorie-controlled diet which includes meal replacements play a significant role in promoting modest weight loss that translates into substantial health-related benefits for overweight or obese people with type 2 diabetes, including significant improvements in risk factors for heart disease.

The Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study is the first large clinical trial designed to demonstrate the effect of weight loss on cardiovascular risk, morbidity and mortality in overweight individuals with type 2 diabetes. The 16-center trial which enrolled 5,145 overweight people with type 2 diabetes will examine cardiovascular morbidity and mortality for up to 12 years in persons randomly assigned to one of two conditions: Diabetes Support and Education (DSE) who receive usual medical care, and Intensive Lifestyle Intervention (ILI) who had a goal to lost 7% or more of initial weight by following a reduced-calorie diet in which people replaced two meals and one snack a day with liquid meal replacement shakes and meal bars for the first 6 months, and continued to replace one meal a day for the next 6 months, along with an increase in physical activity to 175 minutes or more/week (about 35 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days/week).

After one year, those people in the ILI group lost an average of 8.6% of their body weight, versus only 0.7% among people in the DSE group. This difference in weight loss resulted in more significant improvements in diabetes control and cardiovascular risk factors, including a substantial reduction in hemoglobin A1c to 6.6% and greater reductions in blood pressure and triglyceride levels, as well as a reduced need for blood pressure, lipid-lowering and diabetes medications in the ILI versus the DSE group. Participants in the ILI group also showed a 21% improvement in cardiovascular fitness as compared with 5.8% among DSE participants

"The data affirm what we've always thought: that losing weight if you have type 2 diabetes translates into a variety of benefits. Weight loss is the first and initially most important strategy to try. So, if you can lose weight, you'll need less medication, have better control of diabetes, and lower blood pressure and lipid levels. An important strategy to accomplishing that weight loss is to consider adding meal replacements to your program on a regular and consistent basis, and to think of that as a lifestyle change that you're going to make and stick with for the foreseeable future" said John Foreyt, PhD. Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Principal Investigator of the Houston, Texas Baylor site of the Look AHEAD study.

"The one-year results of the Look AHEAD Study demonstrate the significant health-related benefits that can be realized from a modest and achievable weight loss of 5% to 10% of body weight (about 15 pounds), and the important role that meal replacements play in making it easier for people to reduce their calorie intake by providing portion control along with good nutrition," said Patricia Groziak, M.S., R.D., Unilever Senior Manager, Medical Marketing for Slim-Fast. "This is encouraging news not only for the nearly 21 million people with diabetes in the U.S. but also for the millions of overweight and obese Americans who are at risk for developing diabetes and who continue to struggle with losing weight. Slim-Fast offers a convenient, simple and satisfying way to lose weight, and we are committed to continuously finding solutions for dieters to help them achieve their goals, a commitment that is supported by the results of over 35 published clinical studies.