Bone quality response to lifestyle intervention in older adults with obesity (LIMB-Q trial): a randomised controlled trial
Abstract
Background: Lifestyle interventions for weight loss might exacerbate age-related bone loss and osteoporosis. However, there is limited knowledge about their effects on bone quality. We examined whether lifestyle intervention can preserve or enhance bone quality, despite reductions in bone mineral density.
Methods: The Lifestyle Intervention to Improve Bone Quality (LIMB-Q) study was a randomised controlled trial conducted at Baylor College of Medicine and the Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center (Houston, TX, USA) including older adults (aged 65-85 years) with obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). Participants were randomly assigned to receive either an intensive lifestyle intervention (intensive lifestyle group, consisting of weight management plus exercise training) or healthy lifestyle (healthy lifestyle group, consisting of educational sessions on healthy diets). The co-primary outcomes were 12-month changes in (1) distal tibia cortical thickness, measured using high-resolution peripheral quantitative CT, and (2) hip bone strength (failure load), assessed via finite element analysis of CT scans. The primary endpoint was analysed by intention to treat (all randomly assigned patients). This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03329963 (completed).
Findings: Of 138 participants assessed for eligibility in person between Nov 9, 2017, and Nov 8, 2021, 120 were included in this study (mean age 71·4 years [SD 4·6]; 63 [53%] male and 57 [47%] female). At 12 months, weight loss was…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 138 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Effectiveness of Bisphosphonates and Denosumab on Risk of Vertebral Fractures in Prostate Cancer Patients Under Androgen Deprivation Therapies: A Real-World Prospective Study
- Osteoporosis-related fractures after spinal cord injury: a retrospective study from Brazil
- Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone, and mortality in older men
- Lack of Association between Vitamin D Insufficiency and Cardiovascular or Fracture Risk: A UK Biobank Study
- Muscle strength and body composition are clinical indicators of osteoporosis
- Incidence of bone protection and associated fragility injuries in patients with proximal femur fractures
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.