Low Calorie Diet Enhances Heart Function of Obese Diabetics

Mon, 28 Nov 2011
Extra fat around the heart can cause problems for cardiac function, in particular for those with metabolic disease.

Recent research has focused on exploring the long-term benefits of weight loss induced by a low calorie diet on fat around the heart and cardiac function in obese type 2 diabetics.

The 15 research participants with type 2 diabetes were tested before and after a four month long 500 calories per day diet and their cardiac function and fat around their hearts measured. All changes in BMI were also noted.

The results highlighted that caloric restriction meant a drop in BMI from 35.3 to 27.5 over the four month period.

In addition, fat around the heart had lessened from 39 millilitres (ml) to 31 ml, and E/A ratio, a measure of diastolic heart function, had improved from 0.96 to 1.2.

Over another 14 months on a normal diet saw BMI increasing to 31.7, with fat around the heart increasing slightly to 32 ml. E/A ratio after the 14 extra months was 1.06.

The results demonstrate that a low calorie diet of four months improved heart function in diabetic patients. In addition, despite putting some weight back on the benefits to the heart persisted in the long term.

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