Comparison of a reduced carbohydrate and reduced fat diet for LDL, HDL, and VLDL subclasses during 9-months of weight maintenance subsequent to weight loss.
OBJECTIVE
This study compared LDL, HDL, and VLDL subclasses in overweight or obese adults consuming either a reduced carbohydrate (RC) or reduced fat (RF) weight maintenance diet for 9 months following significant weight loss.


METHODS
Thirty-five (21 RC; 14 RF) overweight or obese middle-aged adults completed a 1-year weight management clinic. Participants met weekly for the first six months and bi-weekly thereafter. Meetings included instruction for diet, physical activity, and behavior change related to weight management. Additionally, participants followed a liquid very low-energy diet of approximately 2092 kJ per day for the first three months of the study. Subsequently, participants followed a dietary plan for nine months that targeted a reduced percentage of carbohydrate (approximately 20%) or fat (approximately 30%) intake and an energy intake level calculated to maintain weight loss. Lipid subclasses using NMR spectroscopy were analyzed prior to weight loss and at multiple intervals during weight maintenance.


RESULTS
Body weight change was not significantly different within or between groups during weight maintenance (p>0.05). The RC group showed significant increases in mean LDL size, large LDL, total HDL, large and small HDL, mean VLDL size, and large VLDL during weight maintenance while the RF group showed increases in total HDL, large and small HDL, total VLDL, and large, medium, and small VLDL (p<0.05). Group*time interactions were significant for large and medium VLDL (p>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Some individual lipid subclasses improved in both dietary groups. Large and medium VLDL subclasses increased to a greater extent across weight maintenance in the RF group.
LeCheminant
James D
JD
Brigham Young University, 269 SFH, Provo, UT 84606, USA. lecheminant@byu.edu
Smith
Bryan K
BK
Westman
Eric C
EC
Vernon
Mary C
MC
Donnelly
Joseph E
JE
D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000592:standards*; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000187:drug effects*; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy; D050177:Overweight / Q000178:diet therapy*; D015431:Weight Loss
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D008074:Lipoproteins; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL