(P22-029-25) Impact of a Well-Formulated Ketogenic Diet on Risk Factors Associated With Metabolic Syndrome in Healthy Adults

Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) contributes to preventable chronic diseases and consists of risk factors that develop over time, providing key targets for nutrition studies. Ketogenic diets (KDs) have shown therapeutic potential in various disease states, yet research on their use for MetS prevention in healthy populations is limited. Therefore, we explored the impact of a nutrient-dense, well-formulated ketogenic diet (WFKD) on MetS-related risk factors in healthy adults.

Methods: This study used data from the Ketogenic Diet Health and Longevity (KDHL—PI: Sullivan, NCT05939011) trial at the University of Kansas Medical Center. This single-arm pilot trial recruited 20 non-smokers aged 30-55 for an 8-week WFKD intervention. A registered dietitian provided support and continuous education using a standardized WFKD manual. We calculated mean changes in waist circumference (WC), body composition via dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), fasting glucose, fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and blood pressure (BP) from baseline (BL) to 8-weeks using paired samples t-tests (SPSS version 29.0.2.0; IBM, Armonk, New York). Significance was set at p< 0.05.

Results: Within the total sample (n=20; 43.3 ± 7.8 years; 70% female; BMI 27.4 ± 3.6 kg/m²), WC (-3.3 ± 4.06 cm, p = 0.002), fat mass (-2,175.85 ± 1,711.56 g, p < 0.001), visceral fat mass (-161.05 ± 194.50 g, p = 0.002), total fat percent (-1.15 ± 1.69%, p=0.007), fasting glucose (-5.47 ± 7.43 mg/dL, p = 0.013), and systolic BP (-20.41 ± 3.40 mmHg, p < 0.001) decreased. There were no differences in HOMA-IR (-0.49 ± 0.95, p = 0.06) or MetS-related lipid biomarkers (HDL-C -4.25 ± 12.85 mg/dL, p = 0.16; triglyceride -9.75 ± 39.18 mg/dL, p = 0.28). Diastolic BP increased (+10.21 ± 1.70 mmHg, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: Adults without MetS risk factors at BL either maintained or further improved these factors after 8 weeks of a WFKD. Future studies exploring a WFKD as a preventive eating pattern should include prospective cohort designs that track health outcomes, standardized diet quality scoring to identify dietary patterns within KDs, and longer intervention durations.

Funding Sources: The KDHL study was funded by the KUMC School of Health Professions Pilot Grant Award, the KUMC School of Health Professions PhD Student Research Award, and the KUMC Department of Dietetics and Nutrition.