Weight Loss Maintenance and Cellular Aging in the Supporting Health Through Nutrition and Exercise Study.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Secondary analysis within an individual randomized controlled trial
PubMed 29901486 · doi:10.1097/PSY.0000000000000616
What was done
Adults with obesity (N = 194, BMI 30–45) were randomized to a 5.5-month weight loss program with (n = 100) or without (n = 94) mindfulness training alongside identical diet and exercise guidelines. Telomere length (TL) was measured at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), granulocytes, and T and B lymphocytes. Investigators evaluated the effects of intervention arm, absolute weight change, and weight loss maintenance (defined as maintaining ≥5% or ≥10% weight loss from pre-intervention to 12 months) on TL.
What was found
Neither intervention arm nor total amount of weight change significantly predicted TL change at any time point. Across all participants, weight loss maintenance of ≥10% was associated with longer PBMC TL (b = 239.08, 95% CI = 0.92 to 477.25, p = .049), longer CD8+ TL (b = 417.26, 95% CI = 58.95 to 775.57, p = .023), and longer granulocyte TL (b = 191.56, 95% CI = -4.23 to 387.35, p = .055) at 12 months after adjusting for baseline TL. Maintaining ≥5% weight loss was associated with longer PBMC TL (b = 163.32, 95% CI = 4.00 to 320.62, p = .045).
Why it matters
These findings suggest that successful long-term weight loss maintenance of 5% to 10% or more, rather than specific behavioral program components, may slow cellular aging markers in immune cells.
Limits
The randomized arms showed no direct effect on TL, leaving the positive associations to observational secondary analyses. The reported p-values (p = .023 to .049) are borderline and vulnerable to type I error given multiple statistical tests across cell subtypes. Follow-up was limited to 12 months, leaving long-term durability unknown.
Cited by
- supports In a weight loss study by Ashley Mason, participants who maintained at least 10% weight loss at one year showed telomere lengthening.