Weight loss treatment for COVID-19 in patients with NCDs: a pilot prospective clinical trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the effects of a restricted diet, including walking, on clinical and metabolic outcomes in COVID-19 patients with comorbid noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs).
Results Summary
The study found that the intervention, which included walking, led to significant improvements in weight loss, body temperature, C-reactive protein levels, blood pressure, glucose/lipid metabolism, and liver function in the Main group compared to Controls. Walking was part of a multimodal intervention, making its individual contribution unclear.
Population
Adult patients with COVID-19 comorbid with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
6 weeks
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
a restricted diet including calorie restriction, hot water drinking, walking, and sexual self-restraint | decrease | weight | patients with overweight in Main group | -12.4% | lost weight | #1 |
a restricted diet including calorie restriction, hot water drinking, walking, and sexual self-restraint | decrease | COVID-19 diagnosis | Main group | 2.9% | were positive for COVID-19 | #2 |
- | increase | COVID-19 diagnosis | Controls | 7.2% | were positive for COVID-19 | #3 |
a restricted diet including calorie restriction, hot water drinking, walking, and sexual self-restraint | decrease | body temperature | Main group | - | decreased significantly | #4 |
a restricted diet including calorie restriction, hot water drinking, walking, and sexual self-restraint | decrease | C-reactive protein | Main group | - | decreased significantly | #5 |
a restricted diet including calorie restriction, hot water drinking, walking, and sexual self-restraint | decrease | systolic/diastolic BP | Main group | - | normalized | #6 |
a restricted diet including calorie restriction, hot water drinking, walking, and sexual self-restraint | improvement | glucose/lipids metabolism | Main group | - | normalized | #7 |
a restricted diet including calorie restriction, hot water drinking, walking, and sexual self-restraint | improvement | ALT/AST | Main group | - | normalized | #8 |
a restricted diet including calorie restriction, hot water drinking, walking, and sexual self-restraint | increase | platelets | Main group | - | increased from baseline | #9 |
a restricted diet including calorie restriction, hot water drinking, walking, and sexual self-restraint | improvement | chest CT | Main group | - | improved | #10 |
a restricted diet including calorie restriction, hot water drinking, walking, and sexual self-restraint | decrease | previous antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and other symptomatic medications | patients | - | decreased to completely stop | #11 |
the fast weight loss treatment | improvement | clinical and laboratory/instrumental data on inflammation | COVID-19 patients with comorbid T2D, hypertension, and NASH | - | improved | #12 |
the fast weight loss treatment | improvement | glucose/lipid metabolism | COVID-19 patients with comorbid T2D, hypertension, and NASH | - | improved | #13 |
the fast weight loss treatment | improvement | systolic/diastolic BPs | COVID-19 patients with comorbid T2D, hypertension, and NASH | - | improved | #14 |
the fast weight loss treatment | improvement | NASH biochemical outcomes | COVID-19 patients with comorbid T2D, hypertension, and NASH | - | improved | #15 |
the fast weight loss treatment | improvement | reactive oxygen species | COVID-19 patients with comorbid T2D, hypertension, and NASH | - | improved | #16 |
UNLABELLED: COVID-19 comorbid with noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs) complicates the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, and increases the mortality rate. The aim is to evaluate the effects of a restricted diet on clinical/laboratory inflammation and metabolic profile, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and body composition in patients with COVID-19 comorbid with NCDs. We conducted a 6-week open, pilot prospective controlled clinical trial. The study included 70 adult patients with COVID-19 comorbid with type 2 diabetes (T2D), hypertension, or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). INTERVENTIONS: a restricted diet including calorie restriction, hot water drinking, walking, and sexual self-restraint. PRIMARY ENDPOINTS: COVID-19 diagnosis by detecting SARS-CoV-2 genome by RT-PCR; weight loss in Main group; body temperature; C-reactive protein. Secondary endpoints: the number of white blood cells; erythrocyte sedimentation rate; adverse effects during treatment; fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), systolic/diastolic blood pressure (BP); blood lipids; ALT/AST, chest CT-scan. In Main group, patients with overweight lost weight from baseline (- 12.4%; P < 0.0001); 2.9% in Main group and 7.2% in Controls were positive for COVID-19 (RR: 0.41, CI: 0.04-4.31; P = 0.22) on the 14th day of treatment. Body temperature and C-reactive protein decreased significantly in Main group compared to Controls on day 14th of treatment (P < 0.025). Systolic/diastolic BP normalized (P < 0.025), glucose/lipids metabolism (P < 0.025); ALT/AST normalized (P < 0.025), platelets increased from baseline (P < 0.025), chest CT (P < 0.025) in Main group at 14 day of treatment. The previous antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and other symptomatic medications were adequately decreased to completely stop during the weight loss treatment. Thus, the fast weight loss treatment may be beneficial for the COVID-19 patients with comorbid T2D, hypertension, and NASH over traditional medical treatment because, it improved clinical and laboratory/instrumental data on inflammation; glucose/lipid metabolism, systolic/diastolic BPs, and NASH biochemical outcomes, reactive oxygen species; and allowed patients to stop taking medications. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05635539 (02/12/2022): https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05635539?term=NCT05635539&draw=2&rank=1 .