The effects of weight loss by exercise or by dieting on plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels in men with low, intermediate, and normal-to-high HDL at baseline

Abstract

To assess whether baseline plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels affected the HDL response to weight loss, we examined lipoprotein changes in overweight men aged 30 to 59 years who were randomized to lose weight by exercise training (primarily running, N = 46) or by caloric restriction (ie, dieting, N = 42) or to remain sedentary, nondieting controls (N = 42) in a lyear study. In exercisers, absolute increases in HDL (mg/dL) were greatest in men with normal-tohigh baseline HDL and least in men with low baseline HDL. Specifically, when divided into groups of low (≤37 mg/dL), intermediate (38 to 47 mg/dL), and normal-to-high HDL cholesterol (≥48 mg/ dL) at baseline, the exercisers increased HDL cholesterol by 2.3 ± 1.9, 4.9 ±1.1, and 7.0 ± 1.3 mg/ dL, respectively; HDL 2 cholesterol by 0.8 ± 1.6, 2.3 ± 1.2, and 5.1 ± 1.3 mg/dL; and HDL 2 mass by 2.8 ± 5.1, 9.5 ± 8.9, and 31.7 ± 11.0 mg/dL. Relative increases in HDL cholesterol were more similar in the low (7.1% ± 6.l%), intermediate (12.4% ± 3.9%), and normal-to-high men (13.2% ± 4.0%). Regression analyses were performed to assess whether baseline HDL cholesterol was related to the amount of absolute HDL change per unit of weight loss. In exercisers, the increase in HDL 3 cholesterol concentrations was significantly greater in men with low HDL than in those with normalto-high HDL at entry (2.0 ± 0.8 v 0.2 ± 0.8 mg/dL per kg/m 2 lost). In contrast, the increase in HDL 2 cholesterol was nearly four times greater in men with normal-to-high HDL than in those with low HDL at entry (3.7 ± 0.7 vs. 1.0 ± 0.7 mg/dL per kg/m 2 lost). In dieters, weight loss significantly increased HDL cholesterol, HDL 2 cholesterol, and HDL 2 -mass after 1 year, but the absolute increases were unrelated to baseline HDL cholesterol level. Thus, exercise-induced weight loss, but not dietinduced weight loss, affects HDL cholesterol concentrations in men differently depending upon their entry level.Low plasma concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in men [1,2]. HDL cholesterol includes two major subfractions, HDL 2 and HDL 3 . The HDL 2 subfraction has a higher cholesterol content and is of lesser density than HDL 3 . Elevated concentrations of either subfraction may provide protection from CHD [2]. The National Cholesterol Education Program has identified low HDL cholesterol (≤35 mg/dL) as an important CHD risk factor [3]. Hygienic measures have been suggested for increasing HDL levels, yet it remains to be determined whether such measures will be effective in the very population that most needs the increase.Address reprint requests to Paul T Williams. PhD, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley CA. NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptMetabolism. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2010 May 5. Published in final edited form as:Metabolism. 1994 July ; 43(7): 917-924. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author ManuscriptWe have previou...

The use of a pedometer with or without a supervised exercise program for control of pre- to mild hypertension

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Exercise training and blood lipids in hyperlipidemic and normolipidemic adults: A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials

“…The ef®cacy of exercise training in the modi®cation of blood lipids JA Halbert et al 1991; Juneau et al, 1987;King et al, 1991;Stein et al, 1990;Suter et al, 1994;Toriola, 1984;Williams et al 1994) two or more intervention groups were directly compared with one control group. In these trials, the results of the control group were over represented in the analysis.…”

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Vigorous exercise and the population distribution of body weight

“…However, the increase was three-fold greater in the men who started with a baseline HDL-cholesterol greater than or equal to 48 mg/dl compared to those whose starting HDL-cholesterol was 37 mg/dl or less. 10 This paper examines the relationships of running distance to the percentile distribution of body mass index (BMI) and body circumferences (waist, hip, chest) in the National Runners' Health Study. Specifically, it tests whether crosssectional relationships of adiposity with running distance were the same at the 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 95th percentiles of fatness.…”