Losing weight may help control cardiovascular risk in T2D

Increasing bodyweight may aggravate cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), a recent Japan study has found.

Researchers conducted a cohort analysis on 1,753 T2D patients (mean age 62 years, 62.1 percent men) with body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m². The impact of bodyweight changes on cardiovascular markers, such as haemoglobin A1c, serum lipids, and blood pressure, was assessed using multivariable linear regression analysis.

This analysis revealed that changes in log-transformed bodyweight were significantly and positively correlated with changes in the log-transformed haemoglobin A1c (B, 0.566, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.438–0.693), triglyceride levels (B, 1.437, 95 percent CI, 0.948–1.927), systolic blood pressure (B, 0.171, 95 percent CI, 0.052–0.289), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (B, 0.352, 95 percent CI, 0.107–0.597).

Meanwhile, a negative correlation was reported for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol change (B, –0.321, 95 percent CI, –0.577 to –0.066). These interactions remained significant even after controlling for demographic factors, disease duration, and medication use.

Participants were then grouped into six according to the magnitude of bodyweight change: <–5 percent, –5 percent to <–3 percent, –3 percent to <–1 percent, –1 percent to <1 percent (reference), 1 percent to <3 percent, and ≥3 percent.

Comparison across groups showed that patients who lost <5 percent of their bodyweight saw significant improvements in haemoglobin A1c and triglyceride levels relative to baseline. No other group saw such significant effects.