Line Kristin Johnson

Obesity-related cardiovascular risk factors after weight loss: a clinical trial comparing gastric bypass surgery and intensive lifestyle intervention

Objective Weight reduction improves several obesity-related health conditions. We aimed to compare the effect of bariatric surgery and comprehensive lifestyle intervention on type 2 diabetes and obesity-related cardiovascular risk factors. Design One-year controlled clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00273104). Methods Morbidly obese subjects (19–66 years, mean (s.d.) body mass index 45.1 kg/m2 (5.6), 103 women) were treated with either Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (n=80) or intensive lifestyle intervention at a rehabilitation centre (n=66). The dropout rate within both groups was 5%. Results Among the 76 completers in the surgery group and the 63 completers in the lifestyle group, mean (s.d.) 1-year weight loss was 30% (8) and 8% (9) respectively. Beneficial effects on glucose metabolism, blood pressure, lipids and low-grade inflammation were observed in both groups. Remission rates of type 2 diabetes and hypertension were significantly higher in the surgery group than the lifestyle intervention group; 70 vs 33%, P=0.027, and 49 vs 23%, P=0.016. The improvements in glycaemic control and blood pressure were mediated by weight reduction. The surgery group experienced a significantly greater reduction in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, albuminuria and electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy than the lifestyle group. Gastrointestinal symptoms and symptomatic postprandial hypoglycaemia developed more frequently after gastric bypass surgery than after lifestyle intervention. There were no deaths. Conclusions Type 2 diabetes and obesity-related cardiovascular risk factors were improved after both treatment strategies. However, the improvements were greatest in those patients treated with gastric bypass surgery.

Vitamin status after gastric bypass and lifestyle intervention: a comparative prospective study

BACKGROUND Bariatric surgery can lead to vitamin deficiencies. We aimed to assess the changes in blood vitamin concentrations in patients who were taking predefined supplements after gastric bypass surgery. METHODS A total of 29 patients underwent gastric bypass and 24 unmatched controls underwent lifestyle intervention in a prospective, nonrandomized trial. The patients in the surgical group received multivitamin, iron, calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B(12) supplements. No supplements were prescribed to the lifestyle group. The median body mass index decreased from 46 to 32 kg/m(2) after surgery and from 40 to 39 kg/m(2) after lifestyle intervention. RESULTS Of the 53 included patients, 50 completed the 1-year follow-up examination (94%). Compared with the lifestyle patients, the surgical patients had increased vitamin B(6), folic acid, vitamin B(12), and lipid-adjusted vitamin E (P <.02 for each) concentrations but decreased vitamin A concentrations (P <.01) during follow-up. No significant difference between the 2 groups was found for vitamin B(1), vitamin C, or 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Most surgical patients reported taking their supplements. CONCLUSION Gastric bypass patients adhering to a set of dietary supplements had mostly stable or increased vitamin concentrations compared with both their baseline values and the changes in a nonsurgical control group.

Impact of gender on vitamin D deficiency in morbidly obese patients: a cross-sectional study

Background/Objective:Obesity is associated with vitamin D deficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) <50 nmol/l). We aimed to examine the effect of gender on vitamin D status in severe obesity.Subjects/Methods:Cross-sectional study of 2026 morbidly obese patients examined consecutively at a tertiary care centre between November 2005 and June 2010. Serum 25(OH)D concentration and use of vitamin D supplements were registered in all patients. Total vitamin D intake (μg/day) was assessed in a subgroup of 154 patients using a validated food frequency questionnaire.Results:The male (n=690) and female (n=1336) patients had a mean (s.d.) age of 45.0 (12.1) years and 42.2 (12.2) years (P<0.001), body mass index (BMI) of 44.6 (6.0) kg/m2 and 44.3 (5.9) kg/m2 (P=0.30) and waist circumference (WC) of 140 (13) cm and 127 (13) cm (P<0.001), respectively. Male patients had significantly lower mean 25(OH)D concentrations than female patients 50.0 (22.0) nmol/l versus 53.6 (22.4) nmol/l (P=0.001) and a higher rate of vitamin D deficiency (56% versus 47%; P<0.001). Obese men had significantly higher odds of vitamin D deficiency than women (odds ratio=1.41; 95% confidence interval: 1.17–1.70, P<0.001), also after adjustment for season, age, current smoking, intake of vitamin D supplements, BMI and WC (odds ratio=1.39; 95% confidence interval: 1.10–1.76).Conclusions:Morbidly obese Norwegian men seeking weight loss treatment have significantly higher odds of vitamin D deficiency than women. Monitoring of 25(OH)D concentrations in obese patients should therefore take gender into account.

Arterial stiffness, lifestyle intervention and a low‐calorie diet in morbidly obese patients—A nonrandomized clinical trial

Arterial stiffness is an independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to compare the 7‐week effect of a low‐calorie diet (LCD) and an intensive lifestyle intervention program (ILI) on arterial stiffness in morbidly obese individuals.

Dietary changes in obese patients undergoing gastric bypass or lifestyle intervention: a clinical trial.

We compared changes in the dietary patterns of morbidly obese patients undergoing either laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery or a comprehensive lifestyle intervention programme. The present 1-year non-randomised controlled trial included fifty-four patients in the lifestyle group and seventy-two in the surgery group. Dietary intake was assessed by a validated FFQ. ANCOVA was used to adjust for between-group differences in sex, age, baseline BMI and baseline values of the dependent variables. Intakes of food groups and nutrients did not differ significantly between the intervention groups at baseline. At 1-year follow-up, the lifestyle group had a significantly higher daily intake of fruits and vegetables (561 (sd 198) v. 441 (sd 213) g, P= 0·002), whole grains (63 (sd 24) v. 49 (sd 16) g, P< 0·001) and fibre (28 (sd 6) v. 22 (sd 6) g, P< 0·001) than the surgery group and a lower percentage of total energy intake of saturated fat (12 (sd 3) v. 14 (sd 3) %, P< 0·001). The intake of red meat declined significantly within both groups, vegetables and fish intake were reduced significantly in the surgery group and added sugar was reduced significantly in the lifestyle group. The lifestyle patients improved their dietary patterns significantly (compared with the surgery group), increasing their intake of vegetables, whole grains and fibre and reducing their percentage intake of saturated fat (ANCOVA, all P< 0·001). In conclusion, lifestyle intervention was associated with more favourable dietary 1-year changes than gastric bypass surgery in morbidly obese patients, as measured by intake of vegetables, whole grains, fibre and saturated fat.

Effects of probiotics on body weight, body mass index, fat mass and fat percentage in subjects with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted to examine the effects of probiotic supplementation on body weight, body mass index (BMI), fat mass and fat percentage in subjects with overweight (BMI 25–29.9 kg m−2) or obesity (BMI ≥30 kg m−2). MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for studies published between 1946 and September 2016. A meta‐analysis, using a random effects model, was performed to calculate the weighted mean difference between the intervention and control groups. Of 800 studies identified through the literature search, 15 were finally included. The studies comprised a total of 957 subjects (63% women), with the mean BMI being 27.6 kg m−2 and the duration of the interventions ranging from 3 to 12 weeks. Administration of probiotics resulted in a significantly larger reduction in body weight (weighted mean difference [95% confidence interval]; −0.60 [−1.19, −0.01] kg, I2 = 49%), BMI (−0.27 [−0.45, −0.08] kg m−2, I2 = 57%) and fat percentage (−0.60 [−1.20, −0.01] %, I2 = 19%), compared with placebo; however, the effect sizes were small. The effect of probiotics on fat mass was non‐significant (−0.42 [−1.08, 0.23] kg, I2 = 84%).

Fructose content of low calorie diets: effect on cardiometabolic risk factors in obese women with polycystic ovarian syndrome: a randomized controlled trial

We aimed to examine whether a whole-grain crispbread (CB) low-fructose, low-calorie diet (LCD) might be superior to a traditional LCD based on fructose-rich liquid meal replacements (LMRs) with respect to improvement of various cardiometabolic risk factors and reproductive hormones. Parallel-group randomised controlled clinical trial. Morbidly obese women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) were randomised to either an 8-week CB-LCD or LMR-LCD (900–1100 kcal/day, fructose 17 g/day or 85 g/day). A total of 51 women completed the study. Body weight, fat mass and waist circumference reduced by mean (s.d.) 10.0 (4.8) kg, 7.4 (4.2) kg and 8.5 (4.4) cm, with no significant differences between groups. Total-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and Apo-A1 were significantly reduced within both groups (all P values <0.01), with no significant between-group differences. The triacylglycerol and LDL-cholesterol levels were reduced within the LMR group only, with no significant between-group differences. Blood pressure and most measures of glucose metabolism improved significantly in both diet groups, with no significant between-group difference. Uric acid levels rose by 17.7 (46.4) and 30.6 (71.5) μmol/l in the CB and LMR group, respectively, with no significant difference between groups. Gastrointestinal discomfort was significantly and equally reduced in both intervention groups. Free testosterone index was reduced in both groups, with no significant difference between groups. Morbidly obese women with PCOS who underwent either an 8-week low or high-fructose LCD-diet had similar changes in various cardiometabolic risk factors and reproductive hormones. Registration at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00779571.

Impact of body weight, low energy diet and gastric bypass on drug bioavailability, cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic biomarkers: protocol for an open, non-randomised, three-armed single centre study (COCKTAIL)

Introduction Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (GBP) is associated with changes in cardiometabolic risk factors and bioavailability of drugs, but whether these changes are induced by calorie restriction, the weight loss or surgery per se, remains uncertain. The COCKTAIL study was designed to disentangle the short-term (6 weeks) metabolic and pharmacokinetic effects of GBP and a very low energy diet (VLED) by inducing a similar weight loss in the two groups. Methods and analysis This open, non-randomised, three-armed, single-centre study is performed at a tertiary care centre in Norway. It aims to compare the short-term (6 weeks) and long-term (2 years) effects of GBP and VLED on, first, bioavailability and pharmacokinetics (24 hours) of probe drugs and biomarkers and, second, their effects on metabolism, cardiometabolic risk factors and biomarkers. The primary outcomes will be measured as changes in: (1) all six probe drugs by absolute bioavailability area under the curve (AUCoral/AUCiv) of midazolam (CYP3A4 probe), systemic exposure (AUCoral) of digoxin and rosuvastatin and drug:metabolite ratios for omeprazole, losartan and caffeine, levels of endogenous CYP3A biomarkers and genotypic variation, changes in the expression and activity data of the drug-metabolising, drug transport and drug regulatory proteins in biopsies from various organs and (2) body composition, cardiometabolic risk factors and metabolic biomarkers. Ethics and dissemination The COCKTAIL protocol was reviewed and approved by the Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics (Ref: 2013/2379/REK sørøst A). The results will be disseminated to academic and health professional audiences and the public via presentations at conferences, publications in peer-reviewed journals and press releases and provided to all participants. Trial registration number NCT02386917.