Excessively obese adults often acquire many metabolic disorders that put them at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. We investigated the hypothesis that cardiometabolic risk in a primary care cohort of 208 excessively obese adults (body mass index 40-60 kg/m², 48 with type 2 diabetes mellitus) would deteriorate with additional weight gain and improve incrementally beginning with 5% weight reduction.

Further analysis of the Louisiana Obese Subjects Study of excessively obese patients enrolled and followed during 2005-2008 is reported.

Weight loss correlated significantly with improvements in fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, uric acid, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Most parameters deteriorated with weight gain and progressively improved with 5% or more weight loss. Except for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, all risk factors significantly improved with≥20% loss of body weight. Among patients who had not been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus and had normoglycemia at baseline, median fasting plasma glucose increased significantly (13%) with stable or gained weight at 1 year, but did not change significantly with reduced weight. Although glucose levels did not change significantly in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who gained weight, a decline beginning after 5% weight reduction culminated in 25% glucose reduction with≥20% weight loss. Resting blood pressure declined independently of weight change.

Very obese adults can improve their cardiometabolic risk under primary care weight management. Incremental success may help motivate further therapeutic weight reduction.