The transient hypercholesterolemia of major weight loss
Abstract
Serum lipoproteins, body composition, and adipose cholesterol contents of six obese women were studied during and after major weight loss by very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs). Subjects started at 168 +/- 11% of ideal body weight, lost 30.3 +/- 3.7 kg in 5-7 mo, followed by 2+ mo in weight maintenance. Serum cholesterol fell from a prediet (baseline) value of 5.49 +/- 0.32 to 3.62 +/- 0.31 mmol/L (P less than 0.01) after 1-2 mo of VLCDs (nadir), after which it rose to 5.95 +/- 0.36 mmol/L (peak, P less than 0.01 compared with nadir and baseline) as weight loss continued. With weight maintenance, serum cholesterol fell to 4.92 +/- 0.34 mmol/L (P less than 0.05 compared with peak). Adipose cholesterol content did not change in peripheral (arm and leg) biopsy sites but rose significantly in abdominal adipose tissue with weight loss. We conclude that major weight loss was associated with a late rise in serum cholesterol, possibly from mobilization of adipose cholesterol stores, which resolved when weight loss ceased.
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The slight increase in LDL-C at one and two years regressed back to baseline at five years despite no significant changes in statin use, potentially reflecting transient hypercholesterolemia associated with significant weight loss.
“The slight increase in LDL-C encountered at one [19] and two years [8] (Fig. 2C) of the intervention regressed back to the baseline level at five years despite no significant changes in statin use, potentially reflecting the transient hypercholesterolemia associated with significant weight loss [31].”
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Phinney, S., Tang, A., Waggoner, C., Tezanos-Pinto, R., & Davis, P.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Davis (US)
- Venue
- The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1991-06
- Volume
- 53
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1404-1410
- ISSN
- 0002-9165 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1906135245
- Cited by
- 45
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 2
- FWCI
- 3.54
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (P30DK3574)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Cholesterol and Lipid Metabolism
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Lipoproteins and Cardiovascular Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Lipid metabolism and disorders
- Keywords
- hypercholesterolemia, weight loss, very low calorie diet, serum cholesterol, abdominal fat, body composition, obesity, women, weight maintenance, lipoproteins
- MeSH terms
- Abdomen, Adipose Tissue, Adult, Analysis of Variance, Body Composition, Energy Intake, Cholesterol, Diet, Reducing, Female, Humans, Hypercholesterolemia, Cholesterol, HDL, Cholesterol, LDL, Obesity, Weight Loss
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