Effect of an intensive lifestyle intervention on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components among overweight and obese adults

Abstract

Background: Despite the fact that up to a third of the global population has metabolic syndrome (MetS), it has been overlooked in clinical settings. This study assesses the impact of a physician-supervised nonsurgical weight management program on the prevalence of MetS and its key indicators. Methods: 479 overweight and obese participants aged 19 years or older were included in a multi-center prospective longitudinal study. Changes in MetS and its key indicators were assessed using the binomial exact, chi-square, and Wilcoxon signed rank tests in an intent to treat (ITT) study population. Differences in age strata were assessed using a generalized linear model. Results: 52% of participants (n=249) had MetS at baseline. Prevalence of MetS decreased steadily with significant changes from baseline observed at weeks 13 (31.8%, p<0.0001), 26 (28.7%, p<0.0012), and 39 (21.6%, p<0.0002); changes from baseline were observed at week 52 as statistically significant (16.7%, p<0.0012). Improvements in anthropometrics and levels of key indicators of MetS were observed throughout the study. Conclusion: These findings confirm that weight loss is inversely associated with prevalence of MetS and its key indicators among overweight and obese individuals.