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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Oct 5.
Published in final edited form as: Ann Intern Med. 2010 Aug 3;153(3):147–157. doi: 10.1059/0003-4819-153-3-201008030-00005

Table 2.

Predicted Mean Changes in Body Weight, Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors, Bone Mineral Density, and Body Composition Over 2 Years

Variable Absolute Change From Baseline (95% CI) P Value*
Low-Fat Diet Low-Carbohydrate Diet
Weight, kg
 3 mo −8.37 (−9.04 to −7.71) −9.49 (−10.1 to −8.85) 0.019
 6 mo −11.34 (−12.4 to −10.3) −12.18 (−13.1 to −11.2) 0.25
 12 mo −10.81 (−12.4 to −9.28) −10.87 (−12.1 to −9.67) 0.95
 24 mo −7.37 (−9.10 to −5.63) −6.34 (−8.06 to −4.63) 0.41
  Overall 0.30
Triglyceride level, mg/dL†
 3 mo −17.99 (−24.6 to −11.4) −40.08 (−45.2 to −34.9) <0.001
 6 mo −24.30 (−31.2 to −17.4) −40.06 (−45.7 to −34.4) <0.001
 12 mo −17.92 (−28.3 to −7.58) −31.52 (−39.5 to −23.6) 0.039
 24 mo −14.58 (−25.8 to −3.40) −12.19 (−22.9 to −1.49) 0.76
  Overall 0.26
VLDL cholesterol level, mg/dL†
 3 mo −3.25 (−5.03 to −1.47) −8.91 (−10.3 to −7.49) <0.001
 6 mo −4.79 (−6.40 to −3.18) −8.88 (−10.4 to −7.40) <0.001
 12 mo −3.60 (−6.34 to −0.87) −8.18 (−10.2 to −6.11) 0.009
 24 mo −2.18 (−4.53 to 0.16) −2.18 (−4.63 to 0.26) 0.99
  Overall 0.027
LDL cholesterol level, mg/dL†
 3 mo −6.36 (−9.81 to −2.91) 7.20 (2.38 to 12.02) <0.001
 6 mo −9.52 (−12.9 to −6.15) 0.54 (−3.25 to 4.33) <0.001
 12 mo −8.66 (−12.7 to −4.56) −8.57 (−12.9 to −4.26) 0.98
 24 mo −8.01 (−11.4 to −4.62) −4.78 (−9.17 to −0.39) 0.25
  Overall 0.0009
HDL cholesterol level, mg/dL†
 3 mo −0.47 (−1.42 to 0.48) 2.30 (1.04 to 3.55) <0.001
 6 mo 0.89 (−0.24 to 2.02) 6.21 (4.74 to 7.67) <0.001
 12 mo 3.94 (2.52 to 5.36) 7.96 (6.33 to 9.59) <0.001
 24 mo 4.64 (3.17 to 6.10) 7.75 (6.00 to 9.49) 0.008
  Overall 0.0058
Total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol level, mg/dL†
 3 mo −0.28 (−0.41 to −0.16) −0.31 (−0.48 to −0.15) 0.79
 6 mo −0.48 (−0.59 to −0.37) −0.68 (−0.82 to −0.53) 0.035
 12 mo −0.61 (−0.75 to −0.46) −0.87 (−1.02 to −0.71) 0.016
 24 mo −0.61 (−0.73 to −0.49) −0.67 (−0.82 to −0.51) 0.56
  Overall 0.030
Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg
 3 mo −5.20 (−7.09 to −3.31) −7.74 (−9.59 to −5.89) 0.06
 6 mo −6.97 (−8.89 to −5.05) −7.36 (−9.26 to −5.47) 0.78
 12 mo −4.06 (−6.07 to −2.05) −5.64 (−7.62 to −3.67) 0.27
 24 mo −2.59 (−5.07 to −0.12) −2.68 (−5.08 to −0.27) 0.96
  Overall 0.40
Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg
 3 mo −3.05 (−4.29 to −1.81) −5.53 (−6.70 to −4.36) 0.004
 6 mo −2.50 (−3.76 to −1.25) −5.15 (−6.49 to −3.82) 0.005
 12 mo −2.19 (−3.58 to −0.79) −3.25 (−4.74 to −1.76) 0.31
 24 mo −0.50 (−2.13 to 1.13) −3.19 (−4.66 to −1.73) 0.016
  Overall 0.36
Hip bone mineral density, g/cm2
 6 mo −0.01 (−0.01 to −0.00) −0.01 (−0.02 to −0.00) 0.34
 12 mo −0.02 (−0.02 to −0.01) −0.01 (−0.02 to −0.01) 0.83
 24 mo −0.01 (−0.02 to −0.01) −0.02 (−0.03 to −0.01) 0.64
  Overall 0.41
Spine bone mineral density, g/cm2
 6 mo 0.01 (0.00 to 0.01) 0.01 (0.01 to 0.02) 0.67
 12 mo 0.01 (0.00 to 0.01) 0.01 (0.00 to 0.01) 0.59
 24 mo 0.00 (−0.01 to 0.01) 0.00 (−0.00 to 0.01) 0.79
  Overall 0.48
Lean mass, kg
 6 mo −3.18 (−3.40 to −2.55) −3.53 (−3.66 to −2.81) 0.39
 12 mo −2.74 (−3.19 to −2.29) −3.04 (−3.21 to −2.31) 0.95
 24 mo −2.14 (−2.68 to −1.59) −2.35(−3.07 to −1.80) 0.48
  Overall 0.49
Fat mass, kg
 6 mo −8.16 (−8.45 to −6.62) −8.65 (−8.75 to −7.20) 0.47
 12 mo −7.29 (−8.55 to −6.03) −7.83 (−7.89 to −6.14) 0.72
 24 mo −3.84 (−5.03 to −2.64) −3.99 (−5.50 to −2.79) 0.74
  Overall 0.18

HDL = high-density lipoprotein; LDL = low-density lipoprotein; VLDL = very-low–density lipoprotein.

*

P values are for the differences between the 2 groups at each time point.

†

To convert values for triglycerides to mmol/L, multiply by 0.01129. To convert values for cholesterol to mmol/L, multiply by 0.02586.