Lipoprotein and blood pressure changes during weight reduction at Duke's Dietary Rehabilitation Clinic

The influence of a weight-reducing diet among 129 obese patients after only 4 weeks at Duke's Dietary Rehabilitation Clinic is evaluated in its effect on cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol, and on hypertension in combination with and without drugs. The 700-cal diet consists of 60 g protein, 60 g carbohydrates and 25 g invisible fat. After 4 weeks, total cholesterol decreased on the average by 44 mg% and serum triglycerides by 65 mg%. While LDL cholesterol declined by 30 mg% and VLDL cholesterol by 10 mg%, HDL cholesterol showed a small decrease of 7 mg%. Blood pressure levels were normalized in the 63 hypertensive patients. The conclusion is that a very moderate weight loss of only 9-12 kg has profound influences on important risk factors.