Maintaining weight loss beneficial for diabetic patients: Study

Washington: A recent study found that diabetic patients who regain weight, lose out on the initial benefits of reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases compared to those who maintain their weight.
Regaining weight previously lost is common and can deteriorate the initial benefits of lowered heart disease or stroke risks.
Few studies have directly compared cardiometabolic risk between people who successfully lost weight and maintained the weight loss to those who regained weight, particularly among people with Type 2 diabetes.
Researchers analysed data from nearly 1,600 participants with Type 2 diabetes in an intensive weight loss study who lost at least 3 per cent of their initial body weight.
They found that among those who lost 10 per cent or more of their body weight and then maintained 75 per cent or more of their weight loss four years later saw a significant improvement in risk factors, such as improved levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, blood pressure, waist circumference and diabetes control.
However, those benefits deteriorated among those who regained weight, reported the study published in the journal, ‘American Heart Association’.