The Study
Low carbohydrate diet and effects on weight, lipids and blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
This study combines results from many diet experiments where people were randomly assigned to eat low-carb or other diets. It shows that low-carb diets might help people lose a little weight and lower blood pressure for a while, but the effect doesn’t last long and isn’t very strong.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
This study looked at what happens when people with overweight eat fewer carbohydrates for at least 3 months.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 547 / 100
Quality score
The highest quality evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that pool randomized controlled trials, giving the most reliable summary of experimental evidence.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The changes are small but could help lower heart disease risk a little over time.
- 2People lost a little weight and their blood pressure went down slightly.
- 3After a year, the weight effect got smaller.
- 4Good cholesterol (HDL) went up a bit and bad fats in the blood (triglycerides) went down.
- 5Bad cholesterol (LDL) and total cholesterol didn’t change much.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
European Heart Journal
Year
2025
Authors
H. Hagstrom, O. Gastgivars, L. Hagfors, K. Lindmark, M. Brunstrom
Related Content
Claims (5)
Eating fewer carbs might help lower your blood pressure if you have high blood pressure.
Eating fewer carbs might help lower blood pressure a little bit over time, especially in people who are overweight.
Low-carb diets help people with obesity lose a little weight at first, but the benefits fade after a year, so they might not work well for keeping weight off long-term.
Eating fewer carbs might help boost good cholesterol and lower blood fats in people with higher body weight, but it doesn’t seem to change overall or bad cholesterol much.
If you're an adult with obesity and you eat fewer carbs on a low-carb diet, you might lose more weight and see better cholesterol numbers in just a few months.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.