On average, CRP levels were reduced by 32.3 percent, from 3.06 to 1.63 micrograms per milliliter (m/ml), after a weight loss of approximately 15 kilograms (33 pounds), reports primary researcher Andr Tchernof, Ph.D., formerly from the department of medicine at the University of Vermont, Burlington. Tchernof now works in the molecular endocrinology lab in Quebec City, Canada.

Researchers measured CRP levels before and after a weight-loss study conducted in the greater Burlington, Vt., area. The study included 61 obese postmenopausal women, average age 56. Obesity is defined as a body mass index higher than 30 kg/m2. Body mass index assesses body weight relative to height. All the women in the study were physically inactive, nonsmokers and nondiabetic.

Before and after the weight-loss protocol, researchers measured body composition and body fat distribution using radiological and imaging techniques. Blood samples were taken to obtain lipid profiles, estrogen measurements and plasma CRP levels.

Other studies have shown that obese patients are usually characterized by increased plasma CRP, possibly because fat tissue releases a factor called interleukin-6, which in turn stimulates CRP production in the liver, says Tchernof. Based on these previous studies, we hypothesized that a reduction in fat tissue mass would lower plasma CRP levels in obese women. Twenty-five women participated in the weight-loss portion of the study. They underwent a weight stabilization period before and after the program. A registered dietitian who helped the women choose their food, with or without using a fasting supplement, supervised the weight-loss program. The weight was lost over an average o
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Contact: Carole Bullock
carole.bullock@heart.org
214-706-1279
American Heart Association
4-Feb-2002