The Study
Reversal of metabolic syndrome with weight loss decreases epicardial fat more than weight loss alone in women with obesity.
This study found that women who lost weight and also improved their metabolic health tended to have less fat around their heart. But it doesn't prove that fixing their metabolism caused the fat to drop—it could just be that those who worked harder on their health did both.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
When women with obesity lost weight over a year, the fat around their heart got smaller — but it shrank even more if their metabolic health got better.
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 546 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — less heart fat means lower risk for heart disease, so improving metabolism during weight loss may offer extra heart protection beyond just losing pounds.
- 2BMI dropped from 37.2 to 31.6; heart fat (EFT) went from 0.51 cm to 0.39 cm.
- 3Women who reversed metabolic syndrome lost 0.16 cm of heart fat; others lost only 0.09 cm.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Turk Kardiyoloji Dernegi arsivi : Turk Kardiyoloji Derneginin yayin organidir
Year
2022
Authors
D. Ersan Demirci, D. Demirci, R. Eke
Related Content
Claims (5)
Women with obesity who complete a one-year weight loss program experience a measurable decrease in epicardial fat thickness, from an average of 0.51 cm to 0.39 cm.
In women with obesity who lose weight, those who reverse metabolic syndrome experience a larger decrease in epicardial fat thickness than those who do not, regardless of how much weight they lost.
Among women with obesity who lost weight over one year, those who no longer had metabolic syndrome lost more epicardial fat than those who still had metabolic syndrome.
In women with obesity, a reduction in epicardial fat thickness corresponds to measurable improvements in metabolic health during weight loss.
Women with obesity who complete a one-year weight loss program experience a decrease in their body mass index from 37.2 to 31.6 kg/m².
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.