A Low-Fat Diet Combined with Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise is More Effective than a Low-Fat Diet or Aerobic Exercise Alone on Dyslipidemia and Depression Status in Obese Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND It was defined that exercise and dietary interventions are used to control dyslipidemia and depression in obese individuals, whilst rare investigations have examined the concurrent effects of a low-fat diet and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training (MIAET) on dyslipidemia and depression in obese patients. Hence, we assessed the potential influences of a low-fat diet combined with MIAET on blood lipids and depression in those individuals. METHODS Forty-two obese patients aged 30-50 years have been enrolled in this randomized controlled trial. They have been randomized equally into MIAET group (n=14, 60-70% of the maximum heart rate (Max HR), three sessions a week), a low-fat diet group (n=14, fat, 30% Kcal/day), and a low-fat diet plus MIAET (n=14) for 10 consecutive weeks. Body mass index (BMI), lipid profile, and Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) have been assessed in two occasions, pre and post- 10 weeks. RESULTS It was demonstrated that a low-fat diet group showed an improvement in total cholesterol (T-Ch), p=0.046 with no changes in triglycerides (TGs), p=0.343, low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), p=0.187, and high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), p=0.224, however MIAET group showed an improvement in TGs, p=0.042, HDLs, p=0.038 with no changes in T-Ch, p=0.126 and LDLs, p=0.368. Regarding the low-fat diet plus MIAET group, significant improvements were identified in TGs, p=0.003, T-Ch, p˂0.001, LDLs, p=0.004, and HDLs, p˂0.001. For the depression status, all groups showed a significant improvement in HDRS, p˂0.001 with greater advantageous to a low-fat diet plus MIAET group, p˂0.05. CONCLUSION The results of the current trial suggest an important implication for promoting improvement in blood lipids and a reduction in depression status in obese patients with dyslipidemia following 10-week concurrent of a low-fat diet and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise more than low-fat diet or MIAET alone.