Body Weight Dynamics Following Intentional Weight Loss and Physical Performance: The Look AHEAD Movement and Memory Study

Long-term Changes in Body Composition and Exercise Capacity Following Calorie Restriction and Exercise Training in Older Patients with Obesity and Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

BACKGROUND

Obesity combined with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is the dominant form of HF among older persons. In a randomized trial, we previously showed that a 5-month calorie restriction (CR) program, with or without aerobic exercise training (AT), resulted in significant weight and fat loss and improved exercise capacity. However, little is known regarding the long-term effects of these outcomes after a short-term (5-month) intervention of CR with or without AT in older patients with obesity and HFpEF.

METHODS

Sixteen participants from either the CR or CR+AT who experienced significant weight loss ≥ 2 kg were reexamined after a long-term follow-up endpoint (28.0 ± 10.8 months) without intervention. The follow-up assessment included body weight and composition via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and exhaustive cardiopulmonary treadmill exercise testing.

RESULTS

Compared to the 5-month time-point intervention endpoint, at the long-term follow-up endpoint, mean body weight increased +5.2 ± 4.0 kg (90.7 ± 11.2 kg vs 95.9 ± 11.9; P < 0.001) due to increased fat mass (38.9 ± 9.3 vs 43.8 ± 9.8; P < 0.001) with no change in lean mass (49.6 ± 7.1 vs 49.9±7.6; P = 0.67), resulting in worse body composition (decreased lean-to-fat mass). Change in total mass was strongly and significantly correlated with change in fat mass (r = 0.75; P < 0.001), whereas there appeared to be a weaker correlation with change in lean mass (r = 0.50; P = 0.051). Additionally, from the end of the 5-month time-point intervention endpoint to the long-term follow-up endpoint, there were large, significant decreases in VO2peak (-2.2 ± 2.1 mL/kg/min; P = 0.003) and exercise time (-2.4 ± 2.6 min; P = 0.006). There appeared to be an inverse correlation between the change in VO2peak and the change in fat mass (r = -0.52; P = 0.062).

CONCLUSION

Although CR and CR+AT in older patients with obesity and HFpEF can improve body composition and exercise capacity significantly, these positive changes diminish considerably during long-term follow-up endpoints, and regained weight is predominantly adipose, resulting in worsened overall body composition compared to baseline. This suggests a need for long-term adherence strategies to prevent weight regain and maintain improvements in body composition and exercise capacity following CR in older patients with obesity and HFpEF.

Weight-cycling over 6 years is associated with pain, physical function and depression in the Osteoarthritis Initiative cohort

Body weight significantly impacts health and quality of life, and is a leading risk factor for the development of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Weight cycling may have more negative health consequences compared to steady high or low weight. Using the Osteoarthritis Initiative dataset, we investigated the effects of weight cycling on physical function, quality of life, and depression over 72-months compared to stable or unidirectional body weight trajectories. Participants (n = 731) had knee OA and were classified as: (1) stable-low (BMI < 25), (2) stable-overweight (BMI = 25-29.9), and (3) stable-obese (BMI ≥ 30); (4) steady-weight-loss; (5) steady-weight-gain (weight loss/gain ≥ 2.2 kg every 2-years); (6) gain-loss-gain weight cycling, and (7) loss-gain-loss weight cycling (weight loss/gain with return to baseline), based on bi-annual assessments. We compared Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Knee-Related Quality of Life, Function in Sports and Recreation, Physical Activity in the Elderly, Short Form SF-12, repeated chair rise, 20-m gait speed, and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression using repeated-measures ANOVA. The steady weight loss group demonstrated the worst pain, physical function, and depressive symptoms over time (p's < 0.05). More research is needed to confirm these findings, and elucidate the mechanisms by which steady weight loss is associated with functional decline in knee OA.

Changes in Body Weight and Knee Pain in Adults With Knee Osteoarthritis Three-and-a-Half Years After Completing Diet and Exercise Interventions: Follow-Up Study for a Single-Blind, Single-Center, Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether long-term diet (D) and exercise (E) interventions, alone or in combination (D+E), have beneficial effects for older adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA) 3.5 years after the interventions end.

METHODS

This is a secondary analysis of a subset (n = 94) of the first 184 participants who had successfully completed the Intensive Diet and Exercise in Arthritis (IDEA) trial (n = 399) and who consented to follow-up testing. Participants were older (age ≥55 years), overweight, and obese adults with radiographic and symptomatic knee OA in at least 1 knee who completed 1.5-year D+E (n = 27), D (n = 35), or E (n = 32) interventions and returned for 5-year follow-up testing an average of 3.5 years later.

RESULTS

During the 3.5-years following the interventions, weight regain in D+E and D was 5.9 kg (7%) and 3.1 kg (4%), respectively, with a 1-kg (1%) weight loss in E. Compared to baseline, weight (D+E -3.7 kg [P = 0.0007], D -5.8 kg [P < 0.0001], E -2.9 kg [P = 0.003]) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain subscale scores (D+E -1.2 [P = 0.03], D -1.5 [P = 0.001], E -1.6 [P = 0.0008]) were lower in each group at the 5-year follow-up. The effect of group assignment at the 5-year follow-up was significant for body weight, with D being less than E (-3.5 kg; P = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Older adults with knee OA who completed 1.5-year D or D+E interventions experienced partial weight regain 3.5 years later; yet, relative to baseline, they preserved statistically significant changes in weight loss and reductions in knee pain.

Impact of Multidomain Lifestyle Intervention on Frailty Through the Lens of Deficit Accumulation in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

BACKGROUND

Type 2 diabetes and obesity increase the accumulation of health deficits and may accelerate biological aging. Multidomain lifestyle interventions may mitigate against this.

METHODS

Within a large, randomized clinical trial of intensive lifestyle intervention including caloric restriction, increased physical activity, dietary counseling, and risk factor monitoring compared with diabetes support and education, we examined the accumulation of health deficits across 8 years. We used two complementary frailty indices (FIs) based on deficit accumulation, one modeled on work in the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial and the other including additional deficits related to obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Differences between intervention groups and their consistency among subgroups were assessed with re-randomization tests.

RESULTS

Data from 4,859 adults (45-76 years at baseline, 59% female) were analyzed. Random assignment to intensive lifestyle intervention was associated with lower FI scores throughout follow-up as captured by areas under curves traced by longitudinal means (p ≤ .001), over which time mean (SE) differences between intervention groups averaged 5.8% (0.9%) and 5.4% (0.9%) for the two indices. At year 8, the percentage of participants classified as frail (FI > 0.21) was lower among intensive lifestyle intervention (39.8% and 54.5%) compared with diabetes support and education (42.7% and 60.9%) for both FIs (both p < .001). Intervention benefits were relatively greater for participants who were older, not obese, and without history of cardiovascular disease at baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

Eight years of multidomain lifestyle intervention create a buffer against the accumulation of age-related health deficits in overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00017953.

Obesity: novel and unusual predisposing factors

To tackle the complexity of the global obesity epidemic, it is important to consider the many predisposing factors that underlie progressive and sustained weight gain. Some of the biological drivers for weight gain following initial weight loss include persistent changes in appetite hormones [including ghrelin and postprandial plasma peptide YY (PYY)], and 'persistent metabolic adaptation'. However, many factors within our busy, stressful modern-day environment seem to conspire towards promotion of weight gain. These include the effects of sleep deprivation on appetite regulation, and the effects of modern-day technology on 'attention competition'. These factors, combined with cultural and societal factors can result in a 'mindless' attitude regarding eating-related behaviour that is likely to predispose to weight gain. In addition to the external environment, our internal environment within the gut has also changed radically within the last few decades, resulting from changes in fibre intake, and increased ingestion of highly refined, sterilised and processed foods. Although contentious, these dietary changes have implications for our gut microbiota, and possible downstream effects on control of appetite and metabolism. In this brief review, we consider some of the novel predisposing factors for weight gain within our modern-day 21st century environments (both external and internal), and explore how legal terminology can help to conceptualise the numerous factors that contribute towards weight gain, and, ultimately the global obesity epidemic.

Impact of Body Weight Dynamics Following Intentional Weight Loss on Fracture Risk: Results from The Action for Health in Diabetes Study

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of body weight change following intentional weight loss on incident fracture and bone mineral density (BMD) in overweight and obese adults with diabetes. A total of 1885 individuals with type 2 diabetes (baseline age: 58.5 ± 6.7 years, 58% women, body mass index: 35.7 ± 6.0 kg/m²) who participated in the Look AHEAD study and lost any weight 1 year after being randomized to an intensive lifestyle intervention were assessed. Body weight was measured annually and participants were categorized as weight regainers, weight cyclers, or continued losers/maintainers based on a ±3% annual change in weight from year 1 to year 4. Adjudicated overall fracture incidence was captured from years 4 through 13 (median follow‐up duration 11.5 years). Hip and spine BMD was assessed in a subset of participants at baseline, year 4 (n = 468), and year 8 (n = 354), using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry. Cox proportional hazards and linear regression models, adjusted for relevant covariates, were performed for fracture and BMD outcomes, respectively. Fifty‐eight percent, 22%, and 20% of participants were classified as weight regainers, weight cyclers, and continued losers/maintainers, respectively; and 217 fractures (men n = 63; women n = 154) were recorded during the follow‐up period. There were no statistically significant differences in total incident fracture rates for weight regainers (HR [95% CI]: 1.01 [95% CI, 0.71 to 1.44]) or weight cyclers (HR [95% CI]: 1.02 [95% CI, 0.68 to 1.53]) when compared to continued losers/maintainers (p = 0.99). Similarly, follow‐up BMD estimates did not significantly vary by weight pattern group, although consistent trends for lowered BMD in the hip region were noted for continued losers/maintainers and weight cyclers compared with weight regainers. Patterns of weight change in the 3 years following 1 year of intentional weight loss were not associated with subsequent fracture or significantly reduced BMD in this cohort of overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes. © 2018 The Authors. JBMR Plus Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Body Weight Dynamics Following Intentional Weight Loss and Physical Performance: The Look AHEAD Movement and Memory Study

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore the impact of body weight change following intentional weight loss on measures of physical performance in adults with diabetes.

Design and methods

Four hundred fifty individuals with type 2 diabetes (age, 59.0 ± 6.9 years; body mass index, 35.5 ± 5.9 kg/m²) who participated in the Look AHEAD Movement and Memory Study and lost weight 1 year after being randomized to an intensive lifestyle intervention were assessed. Body weight was measured annually, and participants were categorized as continued losers/maintainers, regainers, or cyclers based on a ±5% annual change in weight. Objective measures of physical performance were measured at the year 8/9 visit.

Results

Forty‐four percent, 38% and 18% of participants were classified as regainers, cyclers, and continued losers/maintainers, respectively. In women, weight cycling and regain were associated with worse follow‐up expanded physical performance battery score (1.46 ± 0.07 and 1.48 ± 0.07 vs. 1.63 ± 0.07, both p ≤ 0.02) and slower 20‐m walking speed (1.10 ± 0.04 and 1.08 ± 0.04 vs. 1.17 ± 0.04 m/s, both p < 0.05) compared with continued or maintained weight loss. Male cyclers presented with weaker grip strength compared with regainers or continued losers/maintainers (30.12 ± 2.21 vs. 34.46 ± 2.04 and 37.39 ± 2.26 kg; both p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Weight cycling and regain following intentional weight loss in older adults with diabetes were associated with worse physical function in women and grip strength in men.