Table 4.
Changes in anthropometric, metabolic, and liver parameters after 12 months of intervention.
| CD (n = 43) | MD–HMF (n = 43) |
MD–PA (n = 42) |
p ‡ | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMI (kg/m2) | Basal | 33.6 ± 3.7 | 34.3 ± 4.0 | 33.4 ± 3.1 | 0.006 |
| 12 months | 31.9 ± 4.1 | 31.7 ± 4.3 | 31.8 ± 3.5 | ||
| Δ | −1.7 ± 1.8 *a | −2.6 ± 2.2 *a.b | −1.6 ± 1.8 *b | ||
| Body weight (kg) | Basal | 92.7 ± 14.4 | 96.3 ± 13.8 | 95.3 ± 12.3 | 0.031 |
| 12 months | 88.4 ± 14.4 | 89.5 ± 14.4 | 91.6 ± 13.0 | ||
| Δ | −4.3 ± 5.5 * | −6.8 ± 6.4 *b | −3.7 ± 5.0 *b | ||
| Body fat (%) | Basal | 35.2 ± 6.3 | 35.4 ± 7.2 | 35.7 ± 7.3 | 0.737 |
| 12 months | 33.3 ± 6.1 | 34.2 ± 9.8 | 34.9 ± 8.2 | ||
| Δ | −1.9 ± 2.6 * | −1.2 ± 8.4 | −1.2 ± 7.2 | ||
| Mass muscle (kg) | Basal | 57.6 ± 12.2 | 59.5 ± 8.4 | 58.7 ± 10.2 | 0.099 |
| 12 months | 56.1 ± 11.1 | 56.1 ± 10.4 | 57.6 ± 11.0 | ||
| Δ | −1.6 ± 2.5 * | −3.3 ± 6.6 * | −1.1 ± 2.0 * | ||
| Waist circumference (cm) | Basal | 110.7 ± 9.4 | 112.1 ± 9.1 | 112.7 ± 8.5 | 0.044 |
| 12 months | 105.0 ± 10.25 | 104.8 ± 12.0 | 107.3 ± 9.9 | ||
| Δ | −5.2 ± 6.3 * | −7.3 ± 6.2 * | −4.1 ± 6.0 * | ||
| Physical activity (MET) |
Basal | 2750.2 ± 2327.7 | 3772.4 ± 3275.0 | 3615.0 ± 4171.1 | 0.063 |
| 12 months | 4357.8 ± 4305.6 | 3440.4 ± 3101.9 | 4333.1 ± 3849.8 | ||
| Δ | 1607.6 ± 3819.3 * | −331.9 ± 3278.9 | 718.1 ± 4189.2 | ||
| Glucose (mg/dL) | Basal | 114.3 ± 36.0 | 108.7 ± 26.4 | 118.2 ± 51.9 | 0.546 |
| 12 months | 108.2 ± 29.8 | 100.7 ± 23.1 | 105.1 ± 18.2 | ||
| Δ | −6.0 ± 16.3 * | −8.0 ± 20.2 * | −13.1 ± 46.0 | ||
| Hb1Ac (%) | Basal | 6.1 ± 1.0 | 5.9 ± 1.0 | 6.1 ± 1.5 | 0.276 |
| 12 months | 6.0 ± 1.0 | 5.7 ± 0.7 | 5.7 ± 0.6 | ||
| Δ | −0.1 ± 0.4 | −0.2 ± 0.6 | −0.4 ± 1.3 | ||
| HR (beats/min) | Basal | 69.4 ± 11.4 | 67.0 ± 11.4 | 67.3 ± 8.9 | 0.541 |
| 12 months | 63.8 ± 11.1 | 60.6 ± 11.1 | 63.7 ± 11.0 | ||
| Δ | −5.6 ± 7.8 * | −6.4 ± 7.4 * | −3.6 ± 8.3 | ||
| SBP (mmHg) | Basal | 136.3 ± 12.7 | 133.3 ± 14.2 | 131.9 ± 13.6 | 0.472 |
| 12 months | 127.0 ± 15.0 | 129.1 ± 20.6 | 125.5 ± 16.6 | ||
| Δ | −9.3 ± 12.9 * | −4.2 ± 15.3 | −6.4 ± 14.0 | ||
| DBP (mmHg) | Basal | 87.7 ± 10.4 | 88.1 ± 6.7 | 87.9 ± 6.6 | 0.875 |
| 12 months | 80.5 ± 9.1 | 82.2 ± 8.4 | 80.9 ± 8.2 | ||
| Δ | −7.2 ± 7.5 * | −5.9 ± 10.3 * | −7.0 ± 8.5 * | ||
| Triglycerides (mg/dL) | Basal | 186.5 ± 97.8 | 207.6 ± 330.1 | 184.4 ± 115.2 | 0.478 |
| 12 months | 161.7 ± 108.7 | 132.0 ± 64.7 | 148.1 ± 76.5 | ||
| Δ | −24.8 ± 85.5 | −75.6 ± 317.0 | −36.3 ± 119.2 | ||
| Total- cholesterol (mg/dL) |
Basal | 202.7 ± 43.2 | 202.7 ± 57.1 | 196.0 ± 40.6 | 0.305 |
| 12 months | 195.0 ± 46.8 | 183.1 ± 39.6 | 191.6 ± 40.7 | ||
| Δ | −7.7 ± 33.8 | −19.6 ± 63.6 * | −4.4 ± 36.8 | ||
| HDL-chol (mg/dL) | Basal | 45.5 ± 14.6 | 46.1 ± 9.0 | 43.0 ± 9.3 | 0.560 |
| 12 months | 47.3 ± 14.2 | 49.5 ± 11.4 | 45.4 ± 11.9 | ||
| Δ | 1.8 ± 7.1 | 3.3 ± 7.4 * | 2.4 ± 6.2 * | ||
| Intraliver fat contents (%) | Basal | 14.5 ± 10.1 | 12.0 ± 12.1 | 13.5 ± 11.8 | 0.372 |
| 12 months | 12.6 ± 9.1 | 7.1 ± 5.8 | 10.6 ± 7.7 | ||
| Δ | −1.8 ± 7.6 | −4.9 ± 10.6 * | −2.9 ± 11.3 | ||
| Liver stiffness K-pa | Basal | 5.3 ± 1.7 | 5.3 ± 1.9 | 5.3 ± 2.2 | 0.300 |
| 12 months | 5.0 ± 1.7 | 4.8 ± 1.5 | 5.7 ± 2.4 | ||
| Δ | −0.3 ± 2.1 | −0.4 ± 2.2 | −0.4 ± 2.8 | ||
| AST (mg/dL) | Basal | 28.4 ± 10.1 | 27.7 ± 17.5 | 23.9 ± 9.0 | 0.041 |
| 12 months | 27.4 ± 17.1 | 20.9 ± 5.6 | 22.8 ± 8.8 | ||
| Δ | −1.0 ± 16.0 c | −6.8 ± 16.2 | −1.1 ± 7.2 *c | ||
| ALT (mg/dL) | Basal | 37.5 ± 20.4 | 39.4 ± 40.6 | 33.6 ± 23.1 | 0.240 |
| 12 months | 33.4 ± 25.7 | 25.0 ± 13.0 | 25.7 ± 16.3 | ||
| Δ | −4.2 ± 28.3 | −14.4 ± 36.4 * | −8.0 ± 15.1 * | ||
| GGT (mg/dL) | Basal | 47.1 ± 30.3 | 51.7 ± 71.2 | 37.5 ± 18.0 | 0.348 |
| 12 months | 43.8 ± 44.3 | 36.3 ± 37.5 | 31.2 ± 16.4 | ||
| Δ | −3.3 ± 36.3 | −15.4 ± 56.4 | −6.3 ± 13.0 * |
Abbreviations: ALT: alanine aminotransferase; AST: aspartate aminotransferase; BMI: body mass index; CD: Conventional Diet; ∆: change between basal and 12-month data; DBP: Diastolic blood pressure; GGT: gamma-glutamyltransferase; HbA1c: glycated hemoglobin; HDL-c: High density lipoprotein-cholesterol; HR: heart rate; kPa: kilopascals; MD–HMF: Mediterranean diet–high meal frequency; MD–PA: Mediterranean Diet–physical activity (control group); MedDiet: Mediterranean diet; METs: metabolic equivalents; SBP: systolic blood pressure; TG: triglycerides; Total-c: total cholesterol. Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD). ∆: delta * p < 0.05 ‡ Differences between the three intervention groups at 12 months after adjustment for baseline values and age by ANCOVA. Post hoc test by Bonferroni: “a: differences between CD and MD–HMF groups”; “b: differences between MD–PA and MD–HMF”; “c: differences between CD and MD–PA”.