Weight Loss Doesn't cut Cardiovascular Event Risks in Obese Diabetics

A weight loss doesn't always reduce chances of a cardiovascular event for obese people with type-2 diabetes, a new NIH trial has found. However, it has other benefits though, such as a better quality of life, lower medical bills and lower depression levels.

The study called Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) is a long-term research based on 5,000 overweight or obese adults aged between 45 and 76 years, all diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Participants in the study were divided into two groups; one was the lifestyle intervention group where people were put on a low-calorie diet and exercise while people in the second group were given counseling on how to manage diabetes.

The trial was initially supposed to run for over 13 years. However, lack of any heart benefits for the participants led to the trial ending within 9.6 years for most people (on an average).

During the study period, about 418 people in the control group suffered from cardiovascular events compared to the 403 people in the lifestyle-intervention group.

Researchers found that although people who exercised lost about 6-8 percent of body weight and maintained the weight loss for a long time, they didn't have any major improvement in cardiovascular health. One possible explanation for this may be that obese people with diabetes already take medication for reducing bad cholesterol levels and this might mask the impact of exercise on cardiovascular health.

"This study shows that overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes can lose weight and keep it off with many important health benefits. It reinforces the recommendation that overweight and obese people with type 2 diabetes should increase their physical activity levels and lose weight to improve their health," said Griffin P. Rodgers, MD, director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, which funded the study, according to a news release.

The present study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

 Exercise has also been found to ward off future stress and anxiety. Exercise boosts life expectancy, even in those who are obese, a recent study published in the journal PLOS Medicine had found.