Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of Trial Participants
| Characteristic | Low-Fat Diet (n = 73) | Low-Carbohydrate Diet (n = 75) |
|---|---|---|
| Mean age (SD), y | 47.8 (10.4) | 45.8 (9.9) |
|
| ||
| Female, n (%) | 65 (89) | 66 (88) |
| Race/ethnicity, n (%) | ||
|
| ||
| White | 33 (45) | 34 (45) |
|
| ||
| Black | 36 (49) | 40 (53) |
|
| ||
| Asian | 0 (0) | 1 (1) |
|
| ||
| Hispanic | 3 (4) | 0 (0) |
|
| ||
| Other | 1 (1) | 0 (0) |
|
| ||
| Mean body weight (SD), kg* | 97.9 (13.5) | 96.3 (12.7) |
| Mean body composition (SD), % | ||
|
| ||
| Fat mass | 40 (10) | 40 (10) |
|
| ||
| Lean mass | 60 (10) | 60 (10) |
|
| ||
| Mean body mass index (SD), kg/m2 | 35.6 (4.5) | 35.2 (3.8) |
|
| ||
| Mean waist circumference (SD), cm | 111.0 (10.7) | 108.4 (9.3) |
|
| ||
| Mean systolic blood pressure (SD), mm Hg | 124.9 (13.8) | 120.3 (12.8) |
|
| ||
| Mean diastolic blood pressure (SD), mm Hg | 79.4 (8.3) | 77.5 (9.0) |
|
| ||
| Mean total cholesterol level (SD) | ||
| mmol/L | 5.3 (1.1) | 5.1 (1.1) |
| mg/dL | 204.3 (40.7) | 198.8 (42.2) |
|
| ||
| Mean LDL cholesterol level (SD) | ||
| mmol/L | 3.2 (1.0) | 3.2 (0.9) |
| mg/dL | 122.7 (38.6) | 122.5 (34.6) |
|
| ||
| Mean HDL cholesterol level (SD) | ||
| mmol/L | 1.5 (0.3) | 1.4 (0.3) |
| mg/dL | 56.5 (12.8) | 53.8 (13.3) |
|
| ||
| Mean total–HDL cholesterol ratio (SD) | 3.8 (1.0) | 3.8 (1.0) |
|
| ||
| Mean triglyceride level (SD) | ||
| mmol/L | 1.4 (0.9) | 1.3 (0.6) |
| mg/dL | 125.5 (81.3) | 112.6 (54.1) |
|
| ||
| Mean plasma glucose level (SD) | ||
| mmol/L | 5.2 (0.5) | 5.2 (0.6) |
| mg/dL | 93.4 (9.2) | 94.5 (10.9) |
|
| ||
| Mean serum insulin level (SD), pmol/L | 105.6 (54.9) | 102.8 (63.9) |
|
| ||
| Mean serum creatinine level (SD) | ||
| μmol/L | 97.2 (17.7) | 88.4 (17.7) |
| mg/dL | 1.1 (0.2) | 1.0 (0.2) |
|
| ||
| Mean C-reactive protein level (SD), nmol/L | 46.7 (48.6) | 46.7 (40.0) |
|
| ||
| Antihypertensive medication use, n (%) | 24 (32.9) | 21 (28.0) |
|
| ||
| Lipid-lowering medication use, n (%) | 9 (12.3) | 12 (16.0) |
|
| ||
| Mean physical activity level (SD), MET-h/wk† | 19.6 (35.5) | 16.3 (26.0) |
|
| ||
| Mean 10-y Framingham risk score (SD), % | 4.2 (3.3) | 3.9 (3.1) |
HDL = high-density lipoprotein; LDL = low-density lipoprotein; MET = metabolic equivalent.
*
Eleven participants had no data on body weight at randomization.
†
Calculated as the sum of hours per week of moderate to vigorous activities (walking, sports, dance, and conditioning) multiplied by the activity’s individual MET value.