In Obese, Overweight People, Weight-Loss Diets May Reverse Atherosclerosis

One meaningful point here.

A low-carbohydrate diet, a low-fat diet and the Mediterranean diet were equally effective in helping obese people to reverse carotid atherosclerosis after losing moderate amounts of weight and improving their blood pressure, in a study reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the Nuclear Research Center and Soroka Hospital in Israel investigated whether diet could reverse atherosclerosis, a slow, progressive condition in which the arteries thicken with plaque buildup, increasing risk of heart attacks and strokes. The research team compared the three diets among overweight participants, mostly men, who were at high risk for atherosclerosis.

After two years, researchers noted a significant 5 percent regression in average carotid vessel-wall volume and 1.1 percent decrease in carotid artery thickness.

Compared to participants who had increased carotid wall volume, those with decreases had other improvements:

greater weight loss (11.7 pounds versus 7 pounds);

decreased systolic blood pressure levels (6.8 mmHg versus 1.1 mmHg);

improved homocysteine levels; and

an increase in apolipoprotein A1 (Apo A1), the major component of "good" cholesterol.

The researchers said, beyond drug treatment, the data is some of the earliest showing the potential of diet as a lifestyle modification strategy to prevent atherosclerosis. The findings indicate that sustained, moderate weight loss - not the macronutrient content of the different diets - leads to improved cardiovascular health.

It is the weight loss, not the diet.

Drop the pounds.