Objective: To study the impact of a very-low-carbohydrate (VLC) diet for 16 weeks in overweight or obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Design: Single-arm prospective pilot study. Setting: We recruited participants using medical records from an academic medical center. Patient(s): Twenty-nine overweight or obese women (body mass index, 25-50 kg/m 2 ) with PCOS. Intervention(s): We taught participants to follow a VLC diet and provided information about a variety of behavioral skills including mindfulness and positive affect using an online 16-week intervention. Main Outcome Measure(s): Changes in body weight, glycated hemoglobin, and PCOS-related quality of life. Result(s): The intervention led to positive health outcomes including decreases in percent weight (mean difference ¼ À7.67, SD ¼ 6.10) and glycated hemoglobin level (mean difference ¼ À0.21%, SD ¼ 0.27), an increase in sex hormone binding globulin level (mean difference ¼ 9.24 nmol/L, SD ¼ 16.34), and increases in PCOS-related quality of life measures, including menstrual predictability (mean difference ¼ 2.10, SD ¼ 2.76) and body hair (mean difference ¼ 1.14, SD ¼ 1.04). The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level increased (mean difference ¼ 0.23 mmol/L, SD ¼ 0.49). Conclusion(s):The results suggest that a VLC dietary intervention has potential to promote both weight loss and glycemic control in overweight and obese adults with PCOS, two key components in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.
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