Plain language summary
Understanding biological substances, or "biomarkers" that are present in the body of individuals with obesity, could lead to personalised dietary recommendations for weight loss. Current research on biomarkers in individuals with obesity who have undergone a weight loss intervention is lacking. This secondary analysis of a randomised control trial study of 609 healthy and obese adults over 6 months, aimed to identify biomarkers associated with obesity, determine any changes with weight loss and if these could be used to make personalised recommendations. 263 biomarkers were tested and the results showed that 102 were associated with body mass index (BMI). 88 were elevated in individuals with a higher BMI. Upon weight loss, a large number of these decreased and a small number increased. The type of diet had no influence on how these biomarkers changed and only one could be used to predict weight loss. It was concluded that many of the biomarkers were connected to BMI and many changed with weight loss, however none of the biomarkers studied could be used to individualise dietary recommendations. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to understand that the role of biomarkers in personalising recommendations is complex and more research may be needed.
Abstract
Inflammatory and cardiovascular biomarkers have been associated with obesity, but little is known about how they change upon dietary intervention and concomitant weight loss. Further, protein biomarkers might be useful for predicting weight loss in overweight and obese individuals. We performed secondary analyses in the Diet Intervention Examining The Factors Interacting with Treatment Success (DIETFITS) randomized intervention trial that included healthy 609 adults (18-50 years old) with BMI 28-40 kg/m2, to evaluate associations between circulating protein biomarkers and BMI at baseline, during a weight loss diet intervention, and to assess predictive potential of baseline blood proteins on weight loss. We analyzed 263 plasma proteins at baseline and 6 months into the intervention using the Olink Proteomics CVD II, CVD III and Inflammation arrays. BMI was assessed at baseline, after 3 and 6 months of dietary intervention. At baseline, 102 of the examined inflammatory and cardiovascular biomarkers were associated with BMI (>90% with successful replication in 1,584 overweight/obese individuals from a community-based cohort study) and 130 tracked with weight loss shedding light into the pathophysiology of obesity. However, out of 263 proteins analyzed at baseline, only fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) predicted weight loss, and none helped individualize dietary assignment.
Methodological quality
Jadad score
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2
Allocation concealment
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No
