AR-News: What those new studies on Atkins Actually Showed

[Mindy Kursban]

http://www.pcrm.org/news/issues040517.html

News Release
May 18 , 2004
CONTACT: Jeanne Stuart McVey, 202-686-2210, ext. 316, jeannem at pcrm.org

New Studies Reveal Cholesterol and Weight Concerns for Low-Carb Dieters

One-third of Low-Carb Dieters Show Marked Rise in “Bad” Cholesterol
Diet's Weight-Loss Benefits Fade after Six Months
Doctors Call on DHHS Secretary Tommy Thompson to Evaluate Risks

Washington, D.C.—Two new studies published in the May 18, 2004, Annals of
Internal Medicine provide bad news for low-carb dieters, say doctors for the
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The first, conducted at Duke
University, showed that “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels rose significantly in
30 percent of low-carbohydrate dieters. The second, conducted at the
Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, showed that weight lost during
low-carb dieting started to return after six months.

Normally, weight loss causes cholesterol levels to fall. However, some
low-carb dieters have experienced the opposite effect—significant increases
of cholesterol levels. In the Duke University study, two study participants
dropped out because of high levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol: One had an
increase in LDL cholesterol from 182 mg/dl to 219 mg/dl in four weeks; the
second had an increase from 184 mg/dl to 283 mg/dl in three months. Normal
levels are < 100 mg/dl. A third participant developed chest pain and was
subsequently diagnosed with coronary heart disease. In all, 45 people
followed the low-carb diet for 6 months. But 30 percent of them had an LDL
cholesterol increase of more than 10 percent.

In the Philadelphia study, low-carb dieters lost substantial amounts of
weight over the first six months. But after that point, the average weight
began to climb so that weight loss after one year (11.2 pounds) was not
significantly better than that seen with other diets. Two study participants
on the low-carb diet died, one from hyperosmolar coma five months into the
study, and the second from severe ischemic cardiomyopathy ten months into
the study.

“This new evidence confirms that levels of “bad” cholesterol worsen in a
substantial number of low-carbohydrate dieters,” said PCRM resident Neal D.
Barnard, M.D. “And the supposedly dramatic benefits of the diet do not hold
up over the long term.” A 2003 study conducted at the University of
Pennsylvania showed that low-carb dieters began to regain lost weight after
six months. The new results confirm these findings.

PCRM is urging the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services,
Tommy Thompson, to convene a panel to investigate the potential adverse
effects of low-carbohydrate diets on cholesterol levels, as well as on
calcium losses, another problem observed in recent low-carbohydrate diet
studies.

For an interview with Dr. Barnard or another PCRM nutrition expert, please
call Jeanne Stuart McVey at 202-686-2210, ext. 316 or 415-509-1833 or
jeannem at pcrm.org .

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a
nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, especially
good nutrition. PCRM also conducts clinical research studies, opposes
unethical human experimentation, and promotes alternatives to animal
research.