Losing weight helps some diabetics avoid heart problems—but hurts others
Heterogeneity of Treatment Effects From an Intensive Lifestyle Weight Loss Intervention on Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Data From the Look AHEAD Trial
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
A big study looked at whether losing weight through diet and exercise helps people with type 2 diabetes avoid heart attacks and strokes. It found that for some people, it really helps—but for others, it might actually make things worse.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 5Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
A big study looked at whether losing weight through diet and exercise helps people with type 2 diabetes avoid heart attacks and strokes. It found that for some people, it really helps—but for others, it might actually make things worse.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 5Publication
Authors
de Vries TI, Dorresteijn JAN, van der Graaf Y, Visseren FLJ, Westerink J
Related Content
Claims (4)
For people with type 2 diabetes, factors like age, weight, blood sugar levels, and past heart problems can tell us whether losing weight through diet and exercise will help or hurt their heart health.
Losing weight with diet and exercise doesn’t always help the heart in people with type 2 diabetes—sometimes it helps a lot, sometimes it doesn’t help at all, and sometimes it might even make things worse.
Comprehensive lifestyle interventions (diet, exercise, sleep, stress management) can achieve a 20–40% relative reduction in cardiovascular event risk comparable to statin therapy.
For some people with type 2 diabetes who are overweight, losing weight through diet and exercise can lower their chance of having a heart attack or stroke—but for others, it might actually increase that risk.