Assessing the impact of a structured lifestyle modification programme on the cardiovascular risk profile of severely obese adults

Introduction: Lifestyle modification is fundamental to obesity treatment, but few studies have described the effects of structured lifestyle programmes specifically in bariatric patients. We sought to measure changes in anthropometric and metabolic characteristics in this cohort after participation in a nurse‐led, group‐based, fully supervised eight week programme, incorporating tailored weekly exercise sessions and educational workshops. Methods: Weight, height, waist circumference, blood pressure, HbA1c, fasting glucose and lipid profiles as well as functional capacity (Incremental Shuttle Walk Test) and questionnaire‐based anxiety and depression scores before and after the programme were compared in per‐protocol analyses using a paired t‐test. Results: Data on 150 patients who completed the programme were analysed. See Table 1. Conclusion: Bariatric patients completing an eight week, nurse‐led structured lifestyle programme had improved adiposity, fitness, lipid profiles, blood pressure, and psychosocial health. Further assessment of this programme in a pragmatic randomised controlled trial is warranted. (Table Presented) .