Table 3. Biomarker summary data (mean [SEM]).
| Biomarkers | All Baseline (n = 245) | Lower Fat Diet 12 Months (n = 68) | Lower Carb Diet 12 Months (n = 61) | Walnut-Rich Diet 12 Months (n = 65) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Insulin resistant | 51.4 | 32.4* | 39.3* | 40.0* |
| Insulin (μIU/mL)a | 14.5 (0.5) | 12.2 (0.8)* | 13.0 (1.0) | 13.8 (1.2) |
| Glucose (mg/dL)b | 97 (1) | 92 (1)* | 93 (2) | 93 (1)* |
| HOMA-IR | 4 (0.1) | 3 (0.2)* | 3 (0.3)* | 3 (0.3) |
| HOMA-Beta | 160 (6) | 158 (9) | 162 (10) | 164 (10) |
| Triglycerides (mg/dL)c | 124 (4) | 116 (6)* | 112 (7)* | 101 (6)* |
| HDL cholesterol (mg/dL)d | 59 (1) | 63 (2)* | 61 (2)* | 67 (2)* |
| LDL cholesterol (mg/dL)d | 122 (2) | 114 (4) | 115 (3)* | 115 (4)* |
| CRP (μg/mL)e | 4.86 (0.34) | 3.95 (0.72)* | 2.89 (0.49)* | 2.94 (0.45)* |
| IL-6 (pg/mL) | 2.62 (0.13) | 1.49 (0.16)* | 1.79 (0.36) * | 1.50 (0.20)* |
| SHBG (nmol/L) | 56 (2) | 73 (5)* | 64 (5) | 69 (5)* |
| Estradiol (pg/mL)f | ||||
| Premenopausal (n = 100) | 127 (8) | 140 (25) | 91 (16) | 119 (23) |
| Postmenopausal (n = 145 | 24 (2) | 25 (8) | 26 (7)* | 27 (7) |
| Linoleic acid (%) | 13.3 (0.2) | 11.7 (0.2) * | 12.0 (0.3) * | 12.3 (0.3) *,** |
| α-Linolenic acid (%) | 0.12 (0.005) | 0.14 (0.01)* | 0.15 (0.01) | 0.22 (0.03)*,** |
*
Time effect within diet compared with baseline (significant diet × time interaction), P < 0.05.
**
Diet effect compared with lower carbohydrate diet at a given time, P < 0.05.
a
Multiply by 6.945 to obtain pmol/L.
b
Multiply by 0.0555 to obtain mmol/L
c
Multiply by 0.0113 to obtain mmol/L.
d
Multiply by 0.0259 to obtain mmol/L.
e
Multiply by 9.524 to obtain nmol/L.
f
Multiply by 3.671 to obtain pmol/L. Postmenopausal was defined as FSH > 20 IU/L (and includes two subjects who reported themselves premenopausal at baseline)