A Low-Carbohydrate, Ketogenic Diet versus a Low-Fat Diet To Treat Obesity and Hyperlipidemia

A Randomized, Controlled Trial

View larger version (34K): [in a new window]   Figure 1. Flow of participants into the study. LCKD = low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet; LFD = low-fat, low-cholesterol, reduced-calorie diet.

View larger version (12K): [in a new window]   Figure 2. Expected mean body weight over time, by diet group. Expected mean body weight determined by linear mixed-effects model analysis. P < 0.001 for linear and quadratic time-by-diet group interaction terms. LCKD = low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet; LFD = low-fat, low-cholesterol, reduced-calorie diet.

View larger version (34K): [in a new window]   Figure 3. Individual body weight trajectories, by diet group. The orange line represents the observed trajectory for mean body weight in the low-fat, low-cholesterol, reduced-calorie diet (LCD) group (left) or the low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet (LCKD) group (right). At week 24, the low-fat diet group included 33 rather than 34 participants because 1 participant contributed a blood specimen, but not weight measurements, at that time point.

View larger version (26K): [in a new window]   Appendix Figure. Reasons for discontinuation and individual weight trajectories for participants who dropped out, by diet group.Top. Low-fat, low-cholesterol, reduced-calorie diet (LFD) group. Bottom. Low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet (LCKD group). At week 24, the low-fat diet group included 33 rather than 34 participants because 1 participant contributed a blood specimen, but not weight measurements, at that time point. The dropout mean is the mean weight loss for each diet group's dropouts who were still in the study at that time point. The observed mean is the mean weight loss for each diet group's participants who were still in the study at that time point. The expected mean is the mean weight loss for each diet group's participants at that time point, by linear mixed-effects model analysis.