Weight loss diets boost heart health

Tuesday March 2nd, 2010

Any diet which helps with the loss of weight can reverse the onset of heart disease, researchers suggested last night.

A detailed study of three diets, tested mainly by men who were obese, found they were all as good as each other in improving heart health.

Researchers compared the low-carbohydrate diet, associated with Atkins, a low-fat diet and a so-called Mediterranean diet, rich in fish and vegetables.

As well as measuring weight loss, the researchers also studied other signs of heart health, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Most significantly, they used scanning to measure the thickness of the carotid arteries.

Writing in the journal Circulation, they conclude that "sustained, moderate weight loss" is the key to improving heart health - not the content of the diets.

Some 140 people with an average age of 51 took part in the research at Negev, Israel.

The researchers said the greatest weight loss - some 11.7 lb - was linked to the greatest thinning of the carotid artery walls, suggesting a probably reduction in heart disease risk.

Researcher Dr Yaakov Henkinn of Soroka University, Israel, said: "The reduced caloric intake is probably the major determinant of weight loss, but the macronutrient content determines patients' satisfaction with the diet and the metabolic changes associated with the weight loss."

Circulation March 1 2010

Tags: Diet & Food | Heart Health | Men’s Health | North America

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