Weight Loss in Combination With Physical Activity Improves Endothelial Dysfunction in Human Obesity

OBJECTIVE —To test whether weight loss may improve endothelial dysfunction in human obesity, we recruited 28 healthy obese subjects, aged 30–46 years, with BMI 30–43 kg/m 2 . RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —Endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilation were investigated by intra-arterial infusion of increasing doses of acetylcholine (ACh; 7.5, 15, and 30 μg · ml −1 · min −1 ) and sodium nitroprusside (0.8, 1.6, and 3.2 μg · ml −1 · min −1 ). Insulin resistance was estimated by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA). Weight loss was obtained by caloric restriction and physical activity. RESULTS —We observed a significant reduction in BMI (from 33.1 ± 4.2 to 27.5 ± 4.5 kg/m 2 , −16.9%, P P −1 of tissue · min −1 kg/m 2 ( P CONCLUSIONS —Our data demonstrate that energy-restricted diet associated with physical activity induce a significant and clinically relevant improvement in ACh-stimulated vasodilation in obese healthy subjects.