ABSTRACT
Weight reduction diets may reduce the severity of risk factors for coronary heart
disease such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Several case reports
and small studies of patients receiving starvation diets have reported hypotension
and sudden cardiac death. Myofibrillar damage was documented in 1 case. Very-low-calorie
diets are generally safe and well-tolerated. However, low QRS voltage, QT interval
prolongation, and both nonsustained ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death
have been described in subjects treated with such diets. Orthostatic hypotension may
complicate very-low-calorie protein diets because of sodium depletion and depressed
sympathetic nervous system activity. Bariatric surgery is associated with disproportionately
high mortality rates in both the perioperative and postoperative periods.
KEY INDEXING TERMS
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© 2001 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
