Dietary counseling on long-term weight loss in overweight hypertensive patients.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to evaluate long-term weight loss in overweight hypertensive patients receiving dietary counseling.


METHODS
Longitudinal study included overweight hypertensive patients who had an initial individual consultation with a nutritionist between January 2002 and December 2005 and were followed for four years in a hypertension clinic. Patients who had at least four consultations during the follow-up period were included in the dietary counseling group. Those who scheduled their first consultation but missed that appointment or had fewer than four consultations during the follow-up period were allocated to the control group. Target Energy intake was calculated at 20-25 kcal/kg actual body weight/day.


RESULTS
The study included 102 patients aged 55 ± 1 years old (58 in the dietary counseling group). As compared with the control group, patients in the dietary counseling group showed a significantly greater reduction in body weight (-3.6 ± 0.8 vs. 0.8 ± 0.7 kg), which remained significant after controlling for age, gender, baseline body mass index, and the use of different antihypertensive and antidiabetic drugs. Weight loss between 5.0% and 9.9% was observed in a significantly higher percentage of patients in the dietary counseling group (28% vs. 11%). A weight loss of at least 10% was only observed in dietary counseling group patients, who had a significantly lower odds ratio for increasing the number and/or dosage of antihypertensive agents, even after controlling for age, gender, and baseline body mass index.


CONCLUSIONS
Dietary counseling may be associated with long-term weight loss in overweight hypertensive patients.
Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. marciarsimas@gmail.com
Márcia Regina Simas Gonçalves
MR
Torres
Thaís da Silva
Tda S
Ferreira
Lívia de Paula
Lde P
Nogueira
Danielle Carvalho Sant'Anna
DC
do Nascimento
Antonio Felipe
AF
Sanjuliani
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D037001:Directive Counseling; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000178:diet therapy*; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D050177:Overweight / Q000178:diet therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D015431:Weight Loss