title: Clinical and biochemical effects of a 3-week program of diet combined with spa therapy in obese and diabetic patients: a pilot open study.
abstract: Obesity is a major risk factor for arterial hypertension, coronary artery disease, dyslipidemias, and type 2 diabetes. Spa therapy has long been used for treating obesity and its comorbidities. Enlargement of adipose tissue has been linked to a dysregulation of adipokine secretion and adipose tissue inflammation. Adipokines are currently investigated as potential drug targets in these conditions. Our primary aim was to assess the clinical efficacy of a 3-week program of diet combined with spa therapy in obese patients with and without type 2 diabetes. The secondary aim was to examine whether this combined program influences the response of serum levels of leptin, adiponectin, visfatin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Fifty obese males were enrolled and 21 of these featured a type 2 diabetes. During the 3-week period of the study, the patients were on a 1,000-kcal diet and were involved in mineral bath and total body's mud-pack applications (15 procedures). Patients were assessed at baseline and at the end of the therapy for clinical and biochemical parameters (total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glycemia, and adipokines). We showed that a 3-week program of spa therapy in obese patients induced significant decrease of body weight, body mass index, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, glycemia, and serum levels of leptin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. So, a cycle of mud-bath therapy associated with a controlled diet may be a promising treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes decreasing body weight and many risk factors for atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, Rheumatology Unit, University of Siena, "Le Scotte" Policlinico, Viale Bracci 1, 53100, Siena, Italy, fioravanti7@virgilio.it.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fioravanti
authors.forename: Przemysław
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Adamczyk
authors.forename: Nicola Antonio
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Pascarelli
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giannitti
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Urso
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tołodziecki
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ponikowska
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001452:Balneology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D004032:Diet; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000097:blood; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D016207:Cytokines; D020738:Leptin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase; C085455:nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, human