TY - JOUR

T1 - Exploratory analysis of the effect of a controlled lifestyle intervention on inflammatory markers

T2 - the Healthy Lifestyle Community Programme (cohort 2)

AU - Koeder, Christian

AU - Anand, Corinna

AU - Husain, Sarah

AU - Kranz, Ragna Marie

AU - Schoch, Nora

AU - Alzughayyar, Dima

AU - Bitterlich, Norman

AU - Hahn, Andreas

AU - Englert, Heike

N1 - Funding Information: Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. This work was conducted as part of the project “münster.land.leben” and was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Joint Science Conference (GWK) within the programme “Innovative Hochschule” (grant number: 03IHS062A). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation, writing of the report, or the decision to publish the findings.

PY - 2023/2/6

Y1 - 2023/2/6

N2 - Background: Chronic low-grade inflammation is associated with an increased risk of chronic disease and mortality. The objective of the study was to test the effect of a healthy lifestyle intervention on biomarkers of inflammation (among other risk markers). Methods: We conducted a non-randomized controlled trial with mostly middle-aged and elderly participants from the general population in rural northwest Germany (intervention: n = 114; control: n = 87). The intervention consisted of a 1-year lifestyle programme focusing on diet (largely plant-based; strongest emphasis), physical activity, stress management, and social support. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) was assessed at baseline, 10 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year. Homocysteine (Hcy) was assessed at baseline, 10 weeks, and 1 year. Adiponectin (Apn) was assessed at baseline and 10 weeks. An exploratory analysis of these inflammatory markers assessing the between-group differences with ANCOVA was conducted. Results: The 1-year trajectory of hs-CRP was significantly lower in the intervention group compared to control (between-group difference: -0.8 (95% CI -1.2, -0.3) mg/l; p = 0.001; adjusted for baseline). The 1-year trajectory of Hcy was non-significantly higher in the intervention compared to control (between-group difference: 0.2 (95% CI -0.3, 0.7) µmol/l; p = 0.439; adjusted for baseline). From baseline to 10 weeks, Apn decreased significantly more in the intervention group compared to control (between-group difference: -1.6 (95% CI -2.7, -0.5) µg/ml; p = 0.004; adjusted for baseline). Conclusions: Our study shows that healthy lifestyle changes can lower hs-CRP and Apn levels and are unlikely to significantly affect Hcy levels within 1 year. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS; reference: DRKS00018775, registered 12 Sept 2019; retrospectively registered; www.drks.de).

AB - Background: Chronic low-grade inflammation is associated with an increased risk of chronic disease and mortality. The objective of the study was to test the effect of a healthy lifestyle intervention on biomarkers of inflammation (among other risk markers). Methods: We conducted a non-randomized controlled trial with mostly middle-aged and elderly participants from the general population in rural northwest Germany (intervention: n = 114; control: n = 87). The intervention consisted of a 1-year lifestyle programme focusing on diet (largely plant-based; strongest emphasis), physical activity, stress management, and social support. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) was assessed at baseline, 10 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year. Homocysteine (Hcy) was assessed at baseline, 10 weeks, and 1 year. Adiponectin (Apn) was assessed at baseline and 10 weeks. An exploratory analysis of these inflammatory markers assessing the between-group differences with ANCOVA was conducted. Results: The 1-year trajectory of hs-CRP was significantly lower in the intervention group compared to control (between-group difference: -0.8 (95% CI -1.2, -0.3) mg/l; p = 0.001; adjusted for baseline). The 1-year trajectory of Hcy was non-significantly higher in the intervention compared to control (between-group difference: 0.2 (95% CI -0.3, 0.7) µmol/l; p = 0.439; adjusted for baseline). From baseline to 10 weeks, Apn decreased significantly more in the intervention group compared to control (between-group difference: -1.6 (95% CI -2.7, -0.5) µg/ml; p = 0.004; adjusted for baseline). Conclusions: Our study shows that healthy lifestyle changes can lower hs-CRP and Apn levels and are unlikely to significantly affect Hcy levels within 1 year. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS; reference: DRKS00018775, registered 12 Sept 2019; retrospectively registered; www.drks.de).

KW - Adiponectin

KW - C-reactive protein

KW - Cardiovascular disease

KW - Homocysteine

KW - Lifestyle intervention

KW - Plant-based diet

KW - Subclinical inflammation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85147595268&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1186/s40795-023-00684-2

DO - 10.1186/s40795-023-00684-2

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85147595268

VL - 9

JO - BMC nutrition

JF - BMC nutrition

SN - 2055-0928

IS - 1

M1 - 25

ER -