1.
Sarcopenic obesity in the elderly and strategies for weight management.
Li, Z, Heber, D
Nutrition reviews. 2012;(1):57-64
Abstract
Sarcopenia is a multifactorial age-related condition associated with a sedentary lifestyle and protein intakes during weight loss that are inadequate to maintain muscle mass. Sarcopenic obesity in the elderly is associated with a loss of independence and metabolic complications and represents a major public health challenge in individuals over the age of 65 years. It is likely that age-related losses of muscle mass and coincident increases in fat mass could be reduced through regular resistance exercise combined with adequate protein intake to maintain muscle mass. It has been established that increased protein intake will maintain muscle mass during calorie-restricted diets to a greater extent than usual protein intake. Other strategies, including the use of high-protein meal replacements or supplementation with specific ergogenic or branched-chain amino acids, may be beneficial.
2.
Reduced body weight and adiposity with a high-protein diet improves functional status, lipid profiles, glycemic control, and quality of life in patients with heart failure: a feasibility study.
Evangelista, LS, Heber, D, Li, Z, Bowerman, S, Hamilton, MA, Fonarow, GC
The Journal of cardiovascular nursing. 2009;(3):207-15
-
-
Free full text
-
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effectiveness of high-protein (HP) diets in reducing body weight and adiposity and potentially improving clinical outcomes in heart failure (HF) is not known. OBJECTIVE This feasibility study was conducted to evaluate the impact of 3 dietary interventions on body weight and adiposity, functional status, lipid profiles, glycemic control, and quality of life (QOL) in overweight and obese patients with HF and type 2 diabetes mellitus. DESIGN Fourteen patients with HF with a body mass index greater than 27 kg/m2 were randomized to an HP diet, a standard protein diet, or a conventional diet. Data were obtained at baseline and 12 weeks. RESULTS There were no significant differences in age (59 +/- 10 years), sex (78% male), New York Heart Association class (43% class II, 57% class III), and HF etiology or left ventricular ejection fraction (26 +/- 7) between the groups at baseline. Patients on the HP diet demonstrated significantly greater reductions in weight (P = .005), percent body fat (P = .036), total cholesterol (P = .016), triglyceride concentrations (P = .034), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = .041) and greater improvements in functional status (6-minute walk [P = .010] and VO2 peak [P = .003]), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = .006), and physical QOL scores (P = .022) compared with those on standard protein and conventional diets. CONCLUSION A 12-week HP diet resulted in moderate weight loss and reduced adiposity in a small sample of overweight and obese patients with HF that were associated with improvements in functional status, lipid profiles, glycemic control, and QOL. However, these preliminary findings must be confirmed in studies with more participants and long-term follow-up.