Reducing cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women through a lifestyle change intervention.
BACKGROUND
The impact of a 6-month lifestyle change intervention on cardiovascular risk factors in obese, sedentary, postmenopausal women was examined. A secondary aim of this investigation was to determine whether the addition of self-control skills training to an empirically supported lifestyle change intervention would result in greater cardiovascular risk reduction.


METHODS
Forty-four women were randomly assigned to receive either a lifestyle change or a lifestyle change with self-control skills intervention. Pretreatment and posttreatment weight loss, body composition, physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, diet, blood pressure (BP), blood lipids, and psychosocial functioning were assessed. Also, at 1-year posttreatment, weight loss, body composition, self-reported physical activity, and psychosocial functioning were assessed.


RESULTS
The women significantly increased their physical activity (+39.6%) and cardiorespiratory fitness (+13.5%) and reduced their body weight (-6.5%), fat mass (-7.4%), body fat (-2.4%), BP (SBP -6.2%, DBP -9.2%), total cholesterol (-7.4%), triglycerides (-16.5%), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (9.1%) and improved their diet (p < 0.05). At the 1-year follow-up, women had regained approximately 63% of their posttreatment weight loss (p < 0.05), but had maintained their previous increases in physical activity. Additionally, there were no significant changes in fat free mass, body fat, anxiety, or depression between the end of treatment and 1-year posttreatment. The addition of self-control skills training did not significantly improve cardiovascular risk reduction.


CONCLUSIONS
Lifestyle change interventions may be an effective means for reducing cardiovascular risk in obese, sedentary, postmenopausal women. However, greater attention should be devoted to the maintenance of these positive lifestyle changes.
Carels
Robert A
RA
Department of Psychology, Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403, USA. rcarels@bgnet.bgsu.edu
Darby
Lynn A
LA
Cacciapaglia
Holly M
HM
Douglass
Olivia M
OM
D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity; D010809:Physical Fitness; D017698:Postmenopause; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012648:Self Care; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss; D016387:Women's Health