Effects of a low glycemic index diet on post-menopausal women with abdominal obesity

Abdominal obesity has been associated with an increased incidence of insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperlipidemia. Fourteen post-menopausal females with waist-to-hip ratios (WHR) greater than 0.80 participated in a study designed to determine if a low glycemic-index diet would improve the metabolic aberrations associated with abdominal obesity. For two weeks, seven subjects were on a low glycemic-index diet; seven were on a high glycemic-index diet. Both diets were designed for weight maintenance and contained equivalent amounts of carbohydrate, protein, fat, and fiber. The subjects' low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL cholesterol), serum fructosamine, serum connecting peptide (C-peptide), and response to oral glucose tolerance tests were measured just before and immediately following the study period. Both groups had a significant reduction (p<.05) in LDL cholesterol, C-peptide, and fructosamine values. The differences in pre and post values between groups did not reach significance.