Intervention with education and exercise reverses the metabolic syndrome in adults

• Published in: Journal of the American Society of Hypertension Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 148 - 153
• Main Authors: Mujica, Verónica, MD, Urzúa, Alberto, MSc, Leiva, Elba, MSc, Díaz, Nora, MSc, Moore-Carrasco, Rodrigo, PhD, Vásquez, Marcela, MSc, Rojas, Edgardo, MSc, Icaza, Gloria, MD, Toro, Carla, MSc, Orrego, Roxana, MSc, Palomo, Iván, PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.05.2010
• Subjects: Adult; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Body Weight; Cardiovascular; Chile - epidemiology; Exercise Therapy - methods; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Lipids - blood; Male; Metabolic Syndrome - blood; Metabolic Syndrome - epidemiology; Metabolic Syndrome - rehabilitation; Middle Aged; Patient Education as Topic - methods; Prevalence; Sex Distribution; Treatment Outcome; Hypertension; nutrition; diet; Chile; obesity
• ISSN: 1933-1711
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jash.2010.02.008

Abstract About 29% of the adult population of Talca, Chile, suffers from the metabolic syndrome (MS), a value higher than the national prevalence. Evidence indicates that exercise and nutritional changes reduce the predominance of this syndrome. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of a structured interventional program of physical activity and nutritional counseling in adults with MS. Fifty-one subjects were studied: 27 were included in the interventional program (I-MS). The control group was formed by 24 individuals who did not participate in the program (NI-MS). We assessed body weight, corporal composition, arterial pressure, glycemia, and lipid profile at baseline and after 18 weeks of treatment. After this period, the I-SM group showed a significant decrease in triglycerides (geometric mean 202.2 to 110.5 mg/dL, P < .001), diastolic blood pressure (mean 85.4 to 79.6 mm Hg, P = .001), waist circumference (mean men 101.5 to 94.1 cm, P < .001; mean women 107.2 to 96.2 cm, P < .001), weight (mean 81.1 to 77.2 kg, P < .001), and body mass index (mean 31.8 to 30.2 kg/m2 , P < .001). In the NI-MS group, the individual parameters did not change significantly. Our results show that a non-pharmacological treatment based on exercise exerts an important beneficial effect in patients with MS, mainly on the waist circumference, blood pressure, and triglycerides.