High-Protein, Low-Glycaemic Meal Replacement Improves Physical Health-Related Quality of Life in High-Risk Persons for Metabolic Syndrome—A Subanalysis of the Randomised-Controlled ACOORH Trial

While obesity impairs health-related quality of life (HRQOL), lifestyle interventions targeting weight reduction have been effective in improving HRQOL. Therefore, we hypothesised that a meal replacement-based lifestyle intervention, which has been shown to successfully reduce weight, would also improve HRQOL more effectively than a lifestyle intervention alone. In the international, multicenter, randomised-controlled ACOORH-trial (Almased-Concept-against- Overweight-and-Obesity-and-Related-Health-Risk), overweight or obese participants with elevated risk for metabolic syndrome (n = 463) were randomised into two groups. Both groups received telemonitoring devices and nutritional advice. The intervention group additionally used a protein-rich, low-glycaemic meal replacement for 6 months. HRQOL was estimated at baseline, after 3 and 12 months, using the SF-36 questionnaire, and all datasets providing HRQOL data (n = 263) were included in this predefined subanalysis. Stronger improvements in the physical component summary (PCS) were observed in the intervention compared to the control group, peaking after 3 months (estimated treatment difference 2.7 [1.2; 4.2]; p < 0.0001), but also in the long-term. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that insulin levels and the achieved weight loss were associated with the mental component summary (MCS) after 12 months (p < 0.05). Thus, meal replacement-based lifestyle intervention is not only effective in weight reduction but, concomitantly, in enhancing HRQOL.