Weight Reduction With Very-Low-Caloric Diet and Endothelial Function in Overweight Adults: Role of Plasma Glucose

OBJECTIVE—Obesity is associated with endothelial dysfunction that may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. We studied whether weight reduction improves endothelial function in overweight individuals. METHODS AND RESULTS—Flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilation of the brachial artery was measured in 67 adults (age46±7 years, body mass index35.2±5.4 kg/m) before and after a 6-week weight reduction program induced by very-low-calorie diet (daily energy580 kcal/2.3 MJ). Caloric restriction reduced body weight from 101±18 to 90±17 kg. Flow-mediated vasodilation increased from 5.5%±3.7 to 8.8%±3.7% (P