BACKGROUND: There is increasing interest in the use of a very low calorie diet (VLCD) as a treatment regimen for weight loss in obese subjects. This study was designed to investigate the effects and safety of a traditional Korean very-low-calory diet. METHODS: Twelve hospitalized obese patients at Dong Eui hospital in Busan city from May 1998 to December 1998 were selected. Height, body weight, blood lipids, blood insulin level, body fat, lean body mass, subcutaneous fat and visceral fat were measured. A traditional Korean VLCD was supplied for 14 days. RESULTS: Patient's body weight was significantly decreased from 83.8 kg to 78.6 kg, body fat from 32.2 kg to 28.6 kg, lean body mass from 32.2 kg to 28.6 kg, and BMI from 31.4 to 29.5, respectively (p<0.05). Total fat was significantly decreased from 807 cc to 659 cc, subcutaneous fat from 567 cc to 473 cc, visceral fat from 273 cc to 185 cc, respectively. However there were no significant changes in minerals. After VLCD intervention, total cholesterol was significantly decreased from 199 mg/dL to 166 mg/dL, HDL-cholesterol from 42 mg/dL, to 35 mg/dL, triglyceride from 158 mg/dL, to 75 mg/dL (p<0.05). The insulin area under the curve was also significantly decreased from 205 micro International-Unit/mL x 2hr to 168 micro International-Unit/mL x 2hr (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Above findings suggested that a traditional Korean VLCD is effective and safe for short term use in terms of reducing body fat and improving insulin resistance in obese patients.
Adipose Tissue ; Body Height ; Body Weight ; Busan ; Caloric Restriction ; Cholesterol ; Diet* ; Humans ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Minerals ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Triglycerides ; Weight Loss

BACKGROUNDCardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an effective electrical therapy for patients with moderate to severe heart failure and cardiac dyssynchrony. This study aimed to investigate the degree of acute left ventricular (LV) resynchronization with biventricular pacing (BVP) at different LV sites and to examine the feasibility of performing transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to quantify acute LV resynchronization during CRT procedure.

METHODSFourteen patients with NYHA Class III-IV heart failure, LV ejection fraction < or = 35%, QRS duration > or = 120 ms and septal-lateral delay (SLD) > or = 60 ms on tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), underwent CRT implant. TDI was obtained from three apical views during BVP at each accessible LV site and SLD during BVP was derived. Synchronicity gain index (Sg) by SLD was defined as (1 + (SLD at baseline--SLD at BVP)/SLD at baseline).

RESULTSSeventy-two sites were studied. Positive resynchronization (R+, Sg > 1) was found in 42 (58%) sites. R+ was more likely in posterior or lateral than anterior LV sites (66% vs. 36%, P < 0.001). Concordance of empirical LV lead implantation sites and sites with R+ was 50% (7/14).

CONCLUSIONSThe degree of acute LV resynchronization by BVP depends on LV lead location and empirical implantation of LV lead results in only 50% concordance with R+. Performing TTE during CRT implantation is feasible to identify LV sites with positive resynchronization.

Aged ; Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy ; methods ; Echocardiography ; methods ; Female ; Heart Failure ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; therapy