Potentiation of effects of weight loss by monounsaturated fatty acids in obese NIDDM patients.

Although moderate weight loss improves glycemic control in obese NIDDM patients, quite often it is not normalized. To determine whether the response to weight loss can be improved by altering the macronutrient composition of hypocaloric diets, 17 obese NIDDM patients were studied at I) baseline, 2) after dieting for 6 weeks on a formula diet enriched in either monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs, n = 9) or carbohydrates (CHOs, n = 8) at a 50% caloric deficit, and 3) after 4 weeks of postdiet refeeding on the respective formulas with caloric intake titrated to achieve weight maintenance. Fasting, 24-h, and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) blood glucose, plasma insulin, and C-peptide levels were measured. All prediet parameters were similar between groups. After dieting, although weight loss was similar between groups, the fasting glucose level decreased significantly more in the MUFA group (-4.6 +/- 0.7 mmol/l) than in the CHO group (-2.4 +/- 1.0 mmol/l; P < 0.05). Twenty-four-hour glycemia decreased in both groups after dieting, but the MUFA group had a greater decrease than the CHO group (P < 0.05, analysis of variance [ANOVA]). Although decreases in fasting glycemia were maintained in both groups after refeeding, postprandial glycemia deteriorated after refeeding with the CHO- but not the MUFA-enriched formula (P < 0.05). After dieting and refeeding, fasting C-peptide increased 204 +/- 47 pmol/l in the MUFA group, but the CHO group remained at prediet levels (P < 0.05). Twenty-four-hour C-peptide levels were similar between groups after dieting and refeeding, despite the lower glycemia and CHO content of the MUFA formula. However, when equal amounts of CHO were consumed during the OGTT, the MUFA group had significantly higher C-peptide levels after both dieting and refeeding (P < 0.05). Fasting, 24-h, and OGTT insulin levels were similar between groups throughout the study. These results indicate that macronutrient composition is an important determinant of the glycemic response to weight-loss therapy in obese NIDDM patients. Based on the C-peptide response during the OGTT, increased CHO-induced insulin secretion is one possible mechanism by which this occurs.