Men with type 2 diabetes might have been told that losing weight would help lower their risk of cardiovascular problems. But what if you gain the weight back? Do the benefits stick around? A new study says no.
Analyzing diabetes, weight regain and cardiovascular health
A team of scientists from Tufts University and the University of Connecticut wanted to know if weight loss maintenance was as crucial as weight loss in terms of cardiovascular risks in people with diabetes. They looked at the data for 1,561 men and women with type 2 diabetes who had lost at least 3% of their body weight in a one-year lifestyle intervention. Then they analyzed the data at the follow-up 4 years later. They found that:
- Those who had regained some or all of the weight lost the cardiovascular benefits that the weight loss had created.
- Those who had lost at least 10% of their body weight at the beginning of the trial and managed to maintain at least 75% of that weight loss at the 4-year follow-up had maintained or increased the cardiovascular benefits.
How weight loss helps diabetes and cardiovascular health
Why did the weight loss help? There are several factors.
- Their “good” cholesterol improved.
- Their triglycerides were better.
- Their blood sugar levels were better.
- Their blood pressure was better.
- Their waist circumference was smaller.
- Their overall diabetes symptoms were under control.
“The bottom line is that maintaining the majority of the weight loss is essential to reducing cardiovascular risk,” explains Professor Alice Lichtenstein, senior author of the study. “Our findings suggest that in addition to focusing on weight loss, increased emphasis should be placed on the importance of maintaining weight loss over the long term.”
The results of the study were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
