Dietary weight loss‐induced changes in RBP4, FFA, and ACE predict weight regain in people with overweight and obesity

Adipokines and other biomarkers were previously identified with roles in energy expenditure, appetite, satiety, and adiposity. Therefore, we investigated whether dietary weight loss-induced changes in adipokines and other biomarkers known to play a role in weight regulation or energy expenditure could predict weight regain in people with overweight and obesity. In this randomized controlled trial 26 males and 30 females (BMI: 28-35 kg/m2) followed either a low-calorie diet (LCD; 1250 kcal/day) for 12 weeks or a very-low-calorie diet (VLCD; 500 kcal/day) for 5 weeks followed by a weight stable period of 4 weeks (dietary intervention (DI) period) and a 9-month follow-up period. Blood samples were taken before and after each period to measure FFA, TAG, total cholesterol, insulin, glucose, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity, IL-6, RBP4, apelin, leptin, adiponectin, vaspin, and nesfatin-1 concentrations. Weight loss was similar between groups (LCD: -8.2 ± 0.5 kg; VLCD: -8.9 ± 0.4 kg, P = 0.30). Only changes in ACE activity, FFA and RBP4 concentrations during DI were correlated with weight regain in the whole group (r = -0.299, P = 0.030, r = -0.274, P = 0.047, and r = 0.357, P = 0.008, respectively). Together they explained 28% (r = 0.532) of weight regain variation. Dietary weight loss-induced changes in ACE activity, FFA and RBP4 independently contribute to weight regain prediction.