Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Impact of body weight and weight loss on cardiovascular risk factors

  • Published:
Current Atherosclerosis Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Overwieght and obesity are classified as a major risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). An increase in the body mass index is associated with adverse changes in the plasma lipid and lipoprotein profile resulting in elevated total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and a decrease in high-density lipoprotein levels. An android pattern of obesity is associated with a more deleterious plasma lipoprotein profile as well as hypertension and insulin resistance, resulting in an even greater increase in CVD risk. Weight loss through caloric restriction improves the plasma lipoprotein profile. A Step-1 diet plus exercise confer even greater benefits.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References and Recommended Readings

  1. NIH Consensus conference. Triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, and coronary heart disease. NIH Consensus Development Panel on triglyceride, high density lipoprotein and coronary heart disease. JAMA 1993, 269:505–510.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Grundy SM: Hypertriglyceridemia, insulin resistance, and the metabolic syndrome. Am J Cardiol 1999, 83(9B):25F-29F.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Denke MA, Sempos CT, Grundy SM: Excess body weight: an underrecognized contributor to high blood cholesterol levels in white American men. Arch Intern Med 1993, 153:1093–1103.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Han TS, Richmond P, Avenell A, Lean MEJ: Waist circumference reduction and cardiovascular benefits during weight loss in women. Int J Obes 1997, 21:127–134.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Dengel JL, Katzel LI, Goldberg AP: Effect of an American Heart Association diet, with or without weight loss, on lipids in obese middle-aged and older men. Am J Clin Nutr 1995, 62:715–721.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Siervogel RM, Wisemandle W, Maynard LM, et al.: Serial changes in body composition throughout adulthood and their relationships to changes in lipid and lipoprotein levels. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 1998, 18:1759–1764.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ashley FW, Kannel WB: Relation of weight change to changes in atherogenic traits: the Framingham study. J Chronic Dis 1974, 27:103–114.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. National Institutes of Health: Clinical guidelines on the identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults. The evidence report. 1998

  9. Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Kuczmarski RJ, Johnson CL: Overweight and obesity in the United States: prevalence and trends, 1960–1994. Int J Obes 1998, 22:39–47.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Troiano RP, Frongillo EA Jr, Sobal J, Levitsky DA: The relationship between body weight and mortality: a quantitative analysis of combined information form existing studies. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disor 1996, 20:63–75.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Walton C, Lees B, Crook D, et al.: Body fat distribution, rather than overall adiposity influences serum lipids and lipoproteins in healthy men independently of age. Am J Med 1995, 99:450–464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Katzel LI, Busby-Whitehead JM, Goldberg AP: Adverse effects of abdominal obesity on lipoprotein lipids in healthy older men. Exp Gerontol 1993, 28:411–420.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Katzel LI, Coon PJ, Rogus E, et al.: Persistence of low HDL-C levels after weight reduction in older men with small LDL particles. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 1995, 15:299–305.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Després J-P, Moorjani S, Ferland M, et al.: Adipose tissu distribution and plasma lipoprotein levels in obese women: importance of intra-abdominal fat. Arteriosclerosis 1989 9:203–210.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Dattilo AM, Kris-Etherton PM: Effects of weight reduction on blood lipids and lipoproteins: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 1992, 56:320–328.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on detection, evaluation and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults.Arch Intern Med 1988, 148:36–39.

  17. National Institutes of Health: Second report of the expert panel on detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults (Adult Treatment Panel II). 1993

  18. Pietrobelli A, Lee RC, Capristo E, et al.: An independent, inverse association of high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol concentration with nonadipose body mass. Am J Clin Nutr 1999, 69:614–620.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Denke MA, Sempos CT, Grundy SM: Excess body weight. An underrecognized contributor to dyslipidemia in whit American women. Arch Intern Med 1994, 154:401–410.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Law MR, Wald NJ, Thompson SG: By how much and how quickly does reduction in serum cholesterol concentration lower risk of ischemic heart disease? Br Med J 1994, 308:367–773.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Anderson KM, Wilson PWF, Garrison RJ, Castelli WP: Longitudinal and secular trends in lipoprotein cholesterol measurements is a general population sample: the Framingham offspring study. Atherosclerosis 1987, 68:59–66.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. DiPietro L, Katz LD, Nadel ER: Excess abdominal adiposity remains correlated with altered lipid concentrations in healthy older women. Int J Obes 1999, 23:432–436.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Vaswani AN: Effect of weight reduction on circulating lipids: an integration of possible mechanisms. J Am Coll Nutr 1983, 2:213–132.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Miettinen TA: Cholesterol production in obesity. Circulation 1971, 44:842–850.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Nestel PJ, Schreibman PH, Ahrens EH: Cholesterol metabolism in obesity. J Clin Invest 1973, 52:2389–2397.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Sattar N, Tan CE, Han TS, et al.: Associations of indices of adiposity with atherogenic lipoprotein subfractions. Int J Obes 1998, 22:432–439.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Terry RB, Stefanick ML, Haskell WL, Wood PD: Contributions of regional adipose tissue depots to plasma lipoprotein concentrations in overweight men and women: possibl protective effects of thigh fat. Metabolism 1991, 40:733–740.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Gower BA, Nag TR, Goran MI, et al.: Fat distribution and plasma lipid-lipoprotein concentrations in pre- and postmenopausal women. Int J Obes 1998, 22:605–611.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Kissebah AH, Evans DJ, Peiris A, Wilson CR: Endocrine characteristics in regional obesities: role of sex steroids. In Metabolic complications of human obesities. Edited by Vague J, Björntorp P, Guy-Grand B, Rebuffé-Scrive M, Vague P. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science; 1985:115–130.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Frayn KN: Metabolic regulations: a human perspective. London: Portland Press; 1996:197–217.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Hunter GR, Kekes-Szabo T, Snyder SW, et al.: Fat distribution, physical activity, and cardiovascular risk factors. Med Sci Sports Exer 1997, 29:362–369.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Zamboni M, Armellini F, Harris T, et al.: Effects of age on body fat distribution and cardiovascular risk factors in women. Am J Clin Nutr 1997, 66:111–115.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Hunter GR, Kekes-Szabo T, Treuth MS, et al.: Intra-abdominal adipose tissue, physical activity and cardiovascular risk in pre- and post-menopausal women. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1996, 20:860–865.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Stein O, Friedman G, Chajek-Shaul T, et al.: Transfer of cholesterol linoleyl ether from phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine liposomes to cultured cells catalyzed by lipoprotein lipase. Biochem Biophys Acta 1983 750:306–316.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Fong BS, Rodrigues PO, Salter AM, et al.: Characterization of high density lipoprotein binding to human adipocyt plasma membranes. J Clin Invest 1985, 75:1804–1812.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Lamarche B, Lemieux I, Despres JP: The small, dense LDL phenotype and the risk of coronary heart disease: epidemiology, patho-physiology and therapeutic aspects. Diabetes Metab 1999, 25:199–211.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Griffin BA: Lipoprotein atherogenicity: an overview of current mechanisms. Proc Nutr Soc 199 58:163–169.

  38. Geurian K, Pinson JB, Weart CW: The triglyceride connection in atherosclerosis. Ann Pharmacother 1992, 26:1109–1117.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Ashwell M, McCall SA, Cole TJ, et al.: Fat distribution and its metabolic complications: interpretations. In Human Body Composition and Fat Distribution. Edited by Norgan NG. Den Haag, The Netherlands: CIP-gegevens Koninklijke Bibliotheek; 1986:227–242.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Raison J, Basdevant A, Sitt Y, et al.: Regional differences in adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity in relation to body fat distribution and menopausal status in obese women. Int J Obes 1988, 12:465–472.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Fleg JL, Lakatta EG: Role of muscle loss in the age-associated decline in maximal aerobic capacity. J Applied Physiol 1988, 65:1147–1151.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Carróll M, Sempos C, Briefel R, et al.: Serum Lipids of Adults 20–74Years: United States 1976–1980. Washington, DC: National Center for Health Statistics; 1993, 242:1–107.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Kuller LH, Meilahn EN, Cauley JA, et al.: Epidemiologic studies of menopause: changes in risk factors and disease. Exp Gerontol 1994, 29:495–509.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Miller NE: Why does plasma low density lipoprotein concentration in adults increase with age? Lancet 1984, 1:263–267

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Sorbis R, Petersson BG, Nilsson-Ehle P: Effects of weight reduction on plasmalipoproteins and adipose tissue metabolism in obese subjects. Eur J Clin Invest 1981, 11:491–498.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Phinney SD, Tang AB, Waggoner CR, et al.: The transient hypercholesterolemia of major weight loss. Am J Clin Nutr 1991, 53:1404–1410.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Bennion LJ, Grundy SM: Effects of obesity and caloric intake on binary lipid metabolism. J Clin Invest 1975, 56:996

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Taskinen MR, Nikkila ES: Effects of caloric restriction on lipid metabolism in man. Atherosclerosis 1979, 32:289–299.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Andersen RE, Wadden TA, Bartlett SJ, et al.: Relation of weight loss to changes in serum lipids and lipoproteins in obese women. Am J Clin Nutr 1995, 62:350–357.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Schwartz RS, Brunzell JD: Increase of adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity with weight loss. J Clin Invest 1981, 67:1425–1430.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Goldstein JL, Brown MS: Regulation of low-density lipoprotein receptors: implications for pathogensis and therapy of hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. Circulation 1987, 76:504–507.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Riches FM, Watts GF, Hua J, et al.: Reduction in visceral adipose tissue is associated with improvement in apolipoprotein B-100 metabolism in obese men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999, 84:2854–2861.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Mazzone T, Foster D, Chait A: In vivo stimulation of low-density lipoprotein degradation by insulin. Diabetes 1984, 33:333–338.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Williams PT, Stefanick ML, Vranizan KM, Wood PD: The effects of weight loss by exercise or by dieting on plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels in men withlow, intermediate, and normal-to-high HDL at baseline. Metabolism 1994, 43:917–924.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Wing RR, Jeffery RW: Effect of modest weight loss on changes in cardiovascular risk factors: are there differences between men and women or between weight loss and maintenance? Int J Obes 1995, 19:67–73.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Van Gaal L, Vansant G, Moermans M, Leeuw ID: Lipid and lipoprotein changes after long-term weight reduction: the influence of gender and body fat distribution. J Am Coll Nutr 1995, 14:382–386.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Schaefer EJ, Lamon-Fava S, Ausman LM, et al.: Individual variability in lipoprotein cholesterol response to National Cholesterol Education Program Step 2 diets. 1997, 65:823–830.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Summary of the second report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults (Adult Treatment Panel II).JAMA 1993, 269:3015–3023.

  59. Yu-Poth S, Zhao G, Etherton T, et al.: Effects of the National Cholesterol Education Program’s Step I and Step II dietary intervention programs on cardiovascular disease risk factors: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 1999, 69:632–646.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Wood PD, Stefanick ML, Williams PT, et al.: The effects on plasma lipoproteins of prudent weight-reducing diet, with or without exercise, in overweight men and women. N Engl J Med 1991, 325:461–466

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Sönnichsen AC, Richter WO, Schwartz P: Benefit from hypocaloric diet in obese men depends on the extent of weight-loss regarding cholesterol, and on simultaneous change in body fat distribution regarding insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Metabolism 1992, 41:1035–1039.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Leenan R, van der Kooy K, Meyboom S, et al.: Relative effects of weight loss and dietary fat modification on serum lipid levels in the dietary treatment of obesity. J Lipid Res 1993, 34:2183–2191.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nutrition Department, The Pennsylvania State University, 126 South Henderson, 16802, University Park, PA, USA

    Kari D. Hecker MS, RD, Penny M. Kris-Etherton PhD, RD, Guixiang Zhao & Stacie Coval

  2. Nutrition Education and Research Program, University of Nevada School of Medicine, 155 Redfield Building, 89557, Reno, NV

    Sachiko St. Jeor PhD, RD

Authors
  1. Kari D. Hecker MS, RD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Penny M. Kris-Etherton PhD, RD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Guixiang Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Stacie Coval
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Sachiko St. Jeor PhD, RD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hecker, K.D., Kris-Etherton, P.M., Zhao, G. et al. Impact of body weight and weight loss on cardiovascular risk factors. Curr Atheroscler Rep 1, 236–242 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11883-999-0038-2

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11883-999-0038-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation