Evaluation of the effectiveness of diet therapy in the elderly with obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a standard reduced-calorie diet in elderly subjects with obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Materials and Methods: 60 women with I-III degree obesity and NAFLD were examined. Metabolic status was assessed by indirect calorimetry and body composition indices using bioimpedance spectroscopy. Biochemical indices in blood serum were determined on a biochemical analyzer “KONELAB Prime 60i”. SPSS Statistics 23.0 program was used for statistical data processing. Results and Discussion: It was found that resting energy expenditure was significantly higher in middle-aged women (1896.8±46.5 kcal/d) with obesity and NAFLD than in elderly women (1691.6±34.2 kcal/d). Fat oxidation rate was significantly lower in elderly women (66.8±7 g/day) than in middle-aged women (70.8±9 g/day). The elderly patients received a variant of the standard diet with reduced caloric content for 10 days. Against the background of diet therapy, a significant decrease in glucose, total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, as well as fat mass, total fluid and visceral fat area was observed in elderly patients with obesity and NAFLD. However, the use of a standard reduced-calorie diet resulted in a slight elevation of serum uric acid levels and a significant decrease in muscle mass. Conclusions: the selection of specialized diets is recommended for elderly patients with obesity and NAFLD when prescribing diet therapy, which will not only prevent the decrease of muscle mass and increase of uric acid but also improve the effectiveness of treatment measures in obesity by preventing the development and progression of its complications.