ORIGINAL COMMUNICATION Effects of an 8-week weight-loss program on cardiovascular disease risk factors and regional body composition JS Volek 1 *, AL Go ´ mez 1 , DM Love 2 , AM Weyers 2 , R Hesslink Jr 3 , JA Wise 3 and WJ Kraemer 1 1 The Human Performance Laboratory, The University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA; 2 The Human Performance Laboratory, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA; and 3 Natural Alternatives International, San Marcos, California, USA Objective: To determine the influence of weight loss on multiple cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Design: Overweight women (n ¼ 12; mean 44.2% fat) and men (n ¼ 10; mean 30.7% fat) participated in an 8 week weight-loss program that included dietary, exercise, multi-vitamin=mineral supplementation, and behavior modification components. Measurement of total and regional body composition assessed using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), circumferences and blood sampling for total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triacylglycerols, homocysteine, insulin and leptin were performed before and after the weight loss intervention. Results: Subjects increased their physical activity and decreased their energy intake, resulting in a mean decrease in body mass of 7 4.3  3.4 kg in women and 7 4.7  3.1 kg in men. Fat accounted for 88 and 58% of the decrease in body mass in men and women, respectively. Proportionally, men lost significantly more fat mass from the trunk region compared to women. Serum total and LDL cholesterol were significantly decreased in men ( 7 11 and 7 14%, respectively) but not women ( 7 3 and 7 3%, respectively) and there were no changes in HDL cholesterol and triacylglycerols. Serum leptin was significantly decreased ( 7 36%) and highly correlated to fat mass (r ¼ 0.839). There were no changes in serum insulin and plasma homocysteine. Conclusions: These data indicate that short-term weight loss resulting from reducing percentage energy from fat, increasing physical activity and vitamin=mineral supplements including folic acid has a favorable effect on regional body composition and total and LDL cholesterol with minimal effects on HDL cholesterol, triacylglycerols, homocysteine and insulin and the effects are greater in men compared to women. Supplementation with folic acid or emphasis on folic acid-rich foods may be an important component of a weight loss program to prevent increases in homocysteine. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2002) 56, 585 – 592. doi:10.1038=sj.ejcn.1601362 Keywords: obesity; blood lipids; diet; homocysteine; insulin Introduction Weight loss generally results in beneficial effects on many cardiovascular (CVD) risk factors (Wood et al, 1991), however few studies have documented the effects of short-term reduc- tions in body weight on multiple CVD risk factors simulta- neously and compared these responses between men and women. The importance of such an approach resides in the fact that CVD is the leading cause of death in the United States. Several biochemical markers have been identified as risk factors for CVD including elevated serum total choles- terol and LDL cholesterol (Gordon et al, 1981), triacylglycer- ols (Austin et al, 1998), homocysteine (Perry et al , 1995), insulin (Yri-Jarvinen & Westerbacka, 2000), and reduced HDL cholesterol (Gordon et al, 1989). Obesity is associated with adverse effects on each of these risk factors and increases CVD risk (Manson et al, 1990). Specifically, an increase in abdominal obesity is associated with hyperinsu- linemia, dyslipidemia and CVD (Bjorntorp, 1991). Studies specifically addressing how reductions in body fat and changes in regional body composition impact a composite *Correspondence: JS Volek, Department of Kinesiology, 2095 Hillside Road, Unit 1110, The University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1110, USA. E-mail: jvolek@uconnvm.uconn.edu Guarantor: JS Volek. Received 29 May 2001; revised 4 October 2001; accepted 17 October 2001 European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2002) 56, 585–592 ß 2002 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved 0954–3007/02 $25.00 www.nature.com/ejcn European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2002) 56, 585–592 ß 2002 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved 0954–3007/02 $25.00 www.nature.com/ejcn