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. 2024 Oct 19;22(1):949.
doi: 10.1186/s12967-024-05733-3.

Weight loss, changes in body composition and inflammatory status after a very low-energy ketogenic therapy (VLEKT): does gender matter?

Giovanna Muscogiuri #  1   2   3 , Ludovica Verde #  2   4 , Evelyn Frias-Toral #  5 , Claudia Reytor-González  6 , Giuseppe Annunziata  7 , Mattia Proganò  2 , Silvia Savastano  1   2 , Daniel Simancas-Racines #  6 , Annamaria Colao #  1   2   3 , Luigi Barrea #  8
Affiliations

Weight loss, changes in body composition and inflammatory status after a very low-energy ketogenic therapy (VLEKT): does gender matter?

Giovanna Muscogiuri et al. J Transl Med. .

Abstract

Background: Considering differences in body composition and inflammatory status between sexes, as well as recent recommendations advocating for personalized dietary approaches, this study aimed to explore how sex influences weight loss, changes in body composition, and inflammatory status in subjects with grade I and II obesity undergoing a 45-day of the Very Low-Energy Ketogenic Therapy (VLEKT).

Methods: Participants (21 premenopausal females and 21 males), included in the study adhered to the 45-day of the VLEKT and underwent assessments of anthropometric parameters (weight, height, body mass index-BMI -, and waist circumference), body composition via bioelectrical impedance analysis, and inflammatory status measured by high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels at baseline and post-intervention.

Results: At baseline, premenopausal females and males did not differ in BMI (p = 0.100) and hs-CRP levels (p = 0.948). Males demonstrated overall larger benefits than premenopausal females from the VLEKT in terms of weight loss (Δ% = - 11.63 ± 1.76 vs - 8.95 ± 1.65 kg, p < 0.001), fat mass (Δ% = - 30.84 ± 12.00 vs -21.36 ± 4.65 kg, p = 0.002), and hs-CRP levels (Δ% = - 41.42 ± 21.35 vs - 22.38 ± 17.30 mg/L, p = 0.003). Of interest, in males phase angle values are statistically improved compared to female (Δ% = 17.11 ± 9.00 vs 7.05 ± 3.30°, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of considering sex-specific responses in personalized obesity treatment strategies, particularly dietary interventions like VLEKTs.

Keywords: Body composition; Gender; Ketogenic diet; Nutrition; Obesity; Sex; VLCKD; Very Low-Energy Ketogenic Therapy (VLEKT); Very low-calorie ketogenic diet; Weight loss.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow-chart of study participants
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Percentage changes (Δ%) in fat mass (kg and %) according to gender
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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