title: Arterial destiffening with weight loss in overweight and obese middle-aged and older adults.
abstract: We tested the hypothesis that weight loss via a hypocaloric diet would reduce arterial stiffness in overweight and obese middle-aged and older adults. Thirty-six individuals were randomly assigned to a weight loss (n=25; age: 61.2+/-0.8 years; body mass index: 30.0+/-0.6 kg/m(2)) or a control (n=11; age: 66.1+/-1.9 years; body mass index: 31.8+/-1.4 kg/m(2)) group. Arterial stiffness was measured via carotid artery ultrasonography combined with applanation tonometry and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity via applanation tonometry at baseline and after the 12-week intervention. Body weight, body fat, abdominal adiposity, blood pressure, beta-stiffness index, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity were similar in the 2 groups at baseline (all P>0.05). Body weight (-7.1+/-0.7 versus -0.7+/-1.1 kg), body fat, and abdominal adiposity decreased in the weight loss group but not in the control group (all P<0.05). Brachial systolic and diastolic blood pressures declined (P<0.05) only in the weight loss group. Central systolic and pulse pressures did not change significantly in either group. beta-Stiffness index (-1.24+/-0.22 versus 0.52+/-0.37 U) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (-187+/-29 versus 15+/-42 cm/s) decreased in the weight loss group but not in the control group (all P<0.05). The reductions in carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity were correlated with reductions in total body and abdominal adiposity (r=0.357-0.602; all P<0.05). However, neither total body nor abdominal adiposity independently predicted reductions in arterial stiffness indices. In summary, our findings indicate that weight loss reduces arterial stiffness in overweight/obese middle-aged and older adults, and the magnitudes of these improvements are related to the loss of total and abdominal adiposity.
authors.affiliation: Human Integrative Physiology Laboratory, Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
authors.forename: A Laura
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Dengo
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Dennis
authors.forename: Jeb S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Orr
authors.forename: Elaina L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Marinik
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ehrlich
authors.forename: Brenda M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Davy
authors.forename: Kevin P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Davy
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D050177:Overweight / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011673:Pulsatile Flow / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014463:Ultrasonography; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*