Cardiometabolic & kidneyMeta-analysis
Multi-modal interventions outperform nutritional or exercise interventions alone in reversing metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
- Systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised trials
- Bayesian network meta-analysis
Authors' conclusion
Combining a moderate macronutrient diet with aerobic exercise training or physical activity advice or counselling demonstrated superior beneficial effects on metabolic syndrome and its defining characteristics.
Study context
- Population
- Adults (≥ 18 years) with metabolic syndrome
- Participants
- 12,813 adults · 98 randomised controlled trials (RCTs)
- Comparison
- Multi-modal vs nutritional or exercise interventions alone
- Outcome
- Metabolic syndrome reversal and cardiometabolic outcomes
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Metabolic syndrome reversal
- Pairwise meta-analysis: multi-modal interventions outperformed exercise interventions in reversing metabolic syndrome
- Moderate macronutrient diet (caloric restriction, DASH, Mediterranean) plus supervised aerobic exercise or professional physical activity advice/counselling consistently superior on metabolic syndrome
- low certainty of evidence
Further pooled results
Body weight and BP
- Between-study differences significantly explained by use of behavioural change strategies
Original publication
Multi-modal interventions outperform nutritional or exercise interventions alone in reversing metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 21 March 2025. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf167
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it