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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 Oct 19.
Published in final edited form as: N Engl J Med. 2009 Feb 26;360(9):859–873. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa0804748

Table 2.

Risk Factors, Nutrient Intake, and Biomarkers of Adherence, According to Diet, at 6 Months and 2 Years.*

Variable Low Fat, Average Protein Low Fat, High Protein High Fat, Average Protein High Fat, High Protein
6-Mo Value Change
from
Baseline
2-Yr
Value
Change
from
Baseline
6-Mo Value Change
from
Baseline
2-Yr
Value
Change
from
Baseline
6-Mo Value Change
from
Baseline
2-Yr
Value
Change
from
Baseline
6-Mo Value Change
from
Baseline
2-Yr
Value
Change
from
Baseline
Risk factors
 Cholesterol (mg/dl)
  Total 188±36 −5.9 192±37 −3.7 193±39 −4.9 197±40 −2.9 195±39 −3.7 202±39 −0.3 199±35 −2.3 202±38 −0.8
  LDL 116±29 −6.6 117±31 −5.9 120±33 −4.8 121±33 −3.9 123±33 −3.2 127±33 −0.2 124±31 −1.1 124±31 −1.3
  HDL 49±13 −0.4 51±15 5.6 51±13 2.7 53±15 6.5 49±13 2.9 51±13 6.3 53±15 4.0 55±17 8.8
 Triglycerides (mg/dl) 116±73 −14.2 120±83 −11.5 114±63 −20.4 120±67 −16.6 120±88 −18.1 129±89 −12.4 114±71 −19.5 118±71 −16.7
 Blood pressure (mm Hg)
  Systolic 116±12 −1.2 117±12 −0.8 117±12 −2.6 118±13 −1.7 118±12 −1.5 118±12 −1.3 119±12 −1.7 120±14 −0.7
  Diastolic 74±9 −1.4 74±9 −0.8 73±9 −3.1 74±9 −1.3 74±9 −2.3 75±9 −1.5 74±9 −1.8 76±9 −0.3
 Glucose (mg/dl) 90±11 −3.0 94±12 1.1 90±16 −2.6 93±17 1.0 90±12 −1.9 93±13 1.6 91±12 −1.2 94±15 2.8
 Insulin (μU/ml) 10±7 −16.2 12±10 −2.4 10±6 −19.9 11±8 −11.5 10±7 −18.2 12±8 −6.4 10±9 −14.4 11±7 −9.2
 HOMA 2.3±1.6 −18.7 2.8±2.3 −1.4 2.2±1.6 −22.7 2.5±2.2 −10.4 2.4±1.8 −18.6 2.8±2.1 −3.5 2.4±2.9 −13.4 2.6±1.9 −6.3
Nutrient intake per day
 Energy (kcal) 1636±484 −477 1531±480 −554 1572±568 −353 1560±461 −402 1607±499 −456 1521±530 −434 1624±484 −385 1413±427 −389
 Carbohydrate (%) 57.5±11.1 12.8 53.2±11 9.3 53.4±8.5 7.4 51.3±9.2 6.8 49.1±8.6 5.0 48.6±10 2.4 43±6.7 −0.2 42.9±8.3 −0.4
 Protein (%) 17.6±3.4 0.2 19.6±3.9 2.1 21.8±3.8 3.9 20.8±4 2.5 18.4±4.5 0.5 19.6±5.2 2.1 22.6±4.4 4.3 21.2±5.2 3.4
 Fat (%) 6.2±8 −11.8 26.5±8 −12.0 25.9±6.8 −10.1 28.4±8.1 −8.4 33.9±6.7 −3.8 33.3±8.2 −3.5 34.3±7.8 −3.7 35.1±7 −3.4
 Saturated fat (%) 7.5±3.2 −4.9 8±3.1 −4.3 7.9±2.7 −3.9 8.9±3.8 −3.1 9±2.5 −3.0 9.8±3.3 −2.1 9±2.6 −3.7 10.5±2.7 −1.7
Biomarkers of adherence
 Urinary nitrogen (g) 11.1±4.1 −11.5 11.8±4.6 −9.1 11.9±4.3 −2.5 11.8±3.9 −2.8 10.3±4.4 −17.3 11.2±3.8 −8.8 12.6±4.7 0.7 12.5±5.3 −1.9
 Respiratory quotient§ 0.84±0.04 0.58 0.83±0.04 −0.48 0.84±0.04 0.16 0.84±0.04 −0.84 0.84±0.04 −1.58 0.83±0.04 −3.16 0.84±0.04 −0.52 0.83±0.04 −1.92
*

Plus–minus values are means ±SD. Change from baseline is percent change in the case of risk factors and biomarkers of adherence and actual change in the case of nutrient intake per day. Nutrient intake was determined by three 24-hour recalls. To convert the values for cholesterol to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.02586. To convert the values for triglycerides to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.01129. To convert the values for glucose to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.05551. HDL denotes high-density lipoprotein, HOMA homeostasis model assessment of insulin sensitivity, and LDL low-density lipoprotein.

Data were included for 201 participants per group; missing values were imputed.

Data were included for 200 to 204 participants per group at baseline, 139 to 153 at 6 months, and 88 to 109 at 2 years.

§

Data were included for 201 to 204 participants per group at baseline, 157 to 164 at 6 months, and 113 to 132 at 2 years.