Arterial Destiffening With Weight Loss in Overweight and Obese Middle-Aged and Older Adults

We tested the hypothesis that weight loss via a hypocaloric diet would reduce arterial stiffness in overweight and obese middle-aged and older adults. Thirty-six individuals were randomly assigned to a weight loss (n=25; age: 61.2±0.8 years; body mass index: 30.0±0.6 kg/m 2 ) or a control (n=11; age: 66.1±1.9 years; body mass index: 31.8±1.4 kg/m 2 ) group. Arterial stiffness was measured via carotid artery ultrasonography combined with applanation tonometry and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity via applanation tonometry at baseline and after the 12-week intervention. Body weight, body fat, abdominal adiposity, blood pressure, β-stiffness index, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity were similar in the 2 groups at baseline (all P >0.05). Body weight (−7.1±0.7 versus −0.7±1.1 kg), body fat, and abdominal adiposity decreased in the weight loss group but not in the control group (all P <0.05). Brachial systolic and diastolic blood pressures declined ( P <0.05) only in the weight loss group. Central systolic and pulse pressures did not change significantly in either group. β-Stiffness index (−1.24±0.22 versus 0.52±0.37 U) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (−187±29 versus 15±42 cm/s) decreased in the weight loss group but not in the control group (all P <0.05). The reductions in carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity were correlated with reductions in total body and abdominal adiposity ( r =0.357–0.602; all P <0.05). However, neither total body nor abdominal adiposity independently predicted reductions in arterial stiffness indices. In summary, our findings indicate that weight loss reduces arterial stiffness in overweight/obese middle-aged and older adults, and the magnitudes of these improvements are related to the loss of total and abdominal adiposity.