Weight change in patients followed in a dyslipidemia outpatient clinic

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the evolution of body weight in patients
followed in a dyslipidaemia outpatient clinic.
Methods: We randomly selected a sample of 143 patients
followed in our dyslipidaemia outpatient clinic and registered
their initial weight, at 3 and 6 months and after 1,3 and 5 years
of follow-up. A subgroup of patients was prescribed a quantified
caloric restriction diet and data from this group was analysed
separately. We compared the mean weights of the total sample
obtained at the different evaluation periods and also for each
quartile of BMI; the lipid profile was compared at times 0 and 3 months.
Results: Considering the whole sample, there was no significant
weight variation at any interval considered. In the analysis by BMI
quartiles, there was a statistically significant reduction from 3 to 6
months (p=0.014) for the 4th quartile and a borderline significant
reduction from 0 to 6 months for the 3rd quartile (p=0.05).
In the first 3 months there was a statistically significant reduction of the total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
In the subgroup with individually adapted caloric restriction
(n=8) there was, during the 1st 3 months, a weight reduction of
2.18 Kg (p=0.033); in the same period, there was no statistically
significant variation of the lipid profile, probably due to the reduced sample size.
Conclusion: The caloric restriction diet appears to be more
effective in weight reduction than the usual lifestyle changes,
which, in turn, have a favourable effect in the lipid profile, at least in the short term