This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) CME: Take the course for this article: Hypertension: July 2008, Volume 52, Number 1 Data Supplement All Versions of this Article: 52/1/72    most recent HYPERTENSIONAHA.108.111427v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by Pierce, G. L. Articles by Seals, D. R. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Pierce, G. L. Articles by Seals, D. R. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Nutrition Obesity Weight Control Related Collections Risk Factors Endothelium/vascular type/nitric oxide Related Article

(Hypertension. 2008;52:72.)
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.

Original Articles

Weight Loss Alone Improves Conduit and Resistance Artery Endothelial Function in Young and Older Overweight/Obese Adults

Gary L. Pierce; Stacy D. Beske; Brooke R. Lawson; Kara L. Southall; Francoise J. Benay; Anthony J. Donato; Douglas R. Seals

From the Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder.

Correspondence to Gary L. Pierce, Department of Integrative Physiology, UCB 354, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309. E-mail gpierce{at}colorado.edu

Obesity is associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction, as indicated by impaired endothelium-dependent dilation. Presently there is no direct evidence that energy intake–restricted weight loss alone improves conduit or resistance artery endothelium-dependent dilation, the mechanisms involved, or whether improvements differ with patient age. A total of 40 overweight or obese (body mass index: 25<40 kg/m²) nondiabetic men and women aged 21 to 69 years completed 12 weeks of reduced energy intake (n=26; 15 male) or attention control (n=14; 9 male) and 4 weeks of weight maintenance (randomized trial). Energy intake restriction reduced estimated total energy intake (33%), body weight (10.5%), total and abdominal body fat, plasma leptin, oxidized low-density lipoprotein, and improved several metabolic risk factors. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation was increased by 30% (6.0±0.7% versus 7.9±0.7%; P=0.01; n=17). Peak forearm blood flow during intrabrachial artery infusion of acetylcholine was increased by 26% (16.8±1.4 versus 21.1±1.9 mL/100 mL per minute; P<0.05; n=15); this was inversely related to the reduction in the abdominal visceral:subcutaneous fat ratio (r=–0.46; P<0.05) and was abolished by inhibition of NO synthesis with N^G-monomethyl-L-arginine. Improvements in endothelium-dependent dilation were not related to age: mean increases in subjects >50 years of age were similar to or greater than those <50 years of age. Energy intake–restricted weight loss alone is an effective intervention for improving peripheral conduit and resistance artery endothelial function in young and older overweight/obese adults. The improvements in resistance artery function are mediated by an increase in NO bioavailability and are related to reductions in abdominal visceral fat.

Key Words: endothelium • obesity • intra-abdominal fat • nitric oxide • energy intake • adipokines • aging

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