Funded in part by Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk Fonden
Effects of Whole-Body Cryotherapy Combined With Conventional Obesity Management Versus Obesity Management Alone: A Clinical Trial
Karppinen JE, Suojanen L, Heinonen S, Kaye S, van der Kolk BW, White JW, Orava J, Lee SHT, Dillon E, Muniandy M, Rissanen A, le Roux CW, Docherty N, Pajukanta P, Virtanen KA, Pietiläinen KH
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) · 2 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Controlled clinical trial (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Industry funded
- University or hospital
- Helsingin Yliopisto
- Nonprofit
- Suomen Lääketieteen Säätiö
- Government
- European Commission
- Government
- Academy of Finland
- Company
- Novo Nordisk
- Nonprofit
- Signe ja Ane Gyllenbergin Säätiö
- Nonprofit
- Sigrid Juséliuksen Säätiö
- Nonprofit
- Orionin Tutkimussäätiö
- Nonprofit
- Paulon Säätiö
- Company
- Instrumentariumin Tiedesäätiö
- Company
- Novo Nordisk Fonden
- Nonprofit
- Diabetestutkimussäätiö
- Government
- Research Council of Finland
- University or hospital
- University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital
- Government
- Government Research Funds
- Authors
- At least one author declares a financial tie to industry
- Grants
- Academy of Finland (#266286); Academy of Finland (361956); Academy of Finland (335446); Helsingin Yliopisto (NNF17OC0027232); Novo Nordisk Fonden (266286); European Commission (278373); Suomen Lääketieteen Säätiö (NNF17OC0027232); European Commission (EU-FP7); Suomen Lääketieteen Säätiö (314383); Novo Nordisk Fonden (314383); Diabetestutkimussäätiö (335443); Suomen Lääketieteen Säätiö (NNF20OC0060547); Suomen Lääketieteen Säätiö (272376); Helsingin Yliopisto (272376); Suomen Lääketieteen Säätiö (335443); Diabetestutkimussäätiö (272376); Diabetestutkimussäätiö (NNF10OC1013354); Academy of Finland (#314383); Novo Nordisk Fonden (#NNF10OC1013354); Helsingin Yliopisto (NNF10OC1013354); Helsingin Yliopisto (335443); Academy of Finland (292839); Novo Nordisk Fonden (NNF17OC0027232); Novo Nordisk (NNF20OC0060547); Helsingin Yliopisto (314383); Novo Nordisk Fonden (#NNF23SA0083953); Academy of Finland (314456); Academy of Finland (335443); Novo Nordisk Fonden (272376); European Commission (314383); Suomen Lääketieteen Säätiö (266286); Helsingin Yliopisto (NNF20OC0060547); Academy of Finland (265204); Diabetestutkimussäätiö (NNF20OC0060547); Novo Nordisk (NNF10OC1013354); Novo Nordisk Fonden (335443); Diabetestutkimussäätiö (314383); Novo Nordisk Fonden (NNF20OC0060547); Novo Nordisk (NNF17OC0027232); Diabetestutkimussäätiö (NNF17OC0027232); Suomen Lääketieteen Säätiö (NNF10OC1013354); Diabetestutkimussäätiö (266286); Helsingin Yliopisto (266286); Academy of Finland (259926); Academy of Finland (272376)
Based on 15 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2025-09-03 · Obesity (Silver Spring) · vol. 33 · issue 11 · pp. 2112–2127
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Cited
- 0 citations · more than 23% of similar papers · 0.0× the field average
- References
- 46 works
- Access
- Open access (hybrid journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Adipose Tissue and Metabolism · Exercise and Physiological Responses · Thermoregulation and physiological responses
- Keywords
- Medicine, Weight loss, Adipose tissue, Obesity, Internal medicine, Weight management, Cryotherapy, Endocrinology, Body mass index, Carbohydrate metabolism, Management of obesity, Clinical trial, Surgery
- MeSH
- muscle, skeletal, humans, obesity, weight loss, blood glucose, treatment outcome, cryotherapy, energy metabolism, adult, middle aged, female, male, adipose tissue, brown, obesity management
16 authors
From FI, IE, GB, US
- Jari E. Karppinen · correspondingUniversity of Helsinki
- Laura SuojanenUniversity of Helsinki; Helsinki University Hospital
- Sini HeinonenUniversity of Helsinki; Helsinki University Hospital
- Sanna M. KayeUniversity of Helsinki
- Birgitta W. van der KolkUniversity of Helsinki
- James P. WhiteUniversity College Dublin; University College Birmingham; University of Birmingham
Abstract
Objective
To investigate whether whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) enhances weight loss, brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation, and metabolic outcomes during obesity management.
Methods
Nineteen adults with obesity were assigned to a 12-month lifestyle-based obesity management intervention with 28 WBC sessions (-110°C, 3-4 min, ~2 × week) over the first 5 months (CRYO, n = 10) or the intervention without WBC (CON, n = 9). The primary outcome was weight loss (5 and 12 months). Secondary outcomes included BAT glucose uptake and whole-body energy expenditure during cold stimulation (5 months), clinical parameters, subcutaneous adipose tissue transcriptomics, and skeletal muscle proteomics (5 and 12 months).
Results
Weight loss in the CRYO group was 11.9% at 5 months and 9.9% at 12 months, compared to 11.5% and 8.0% in the CON group (p ≥ 0.54 for between-group differences). No significant between-group differences appeared in BAT glucose uptake, energy expenditure, adipose tissue transcriptomics, or skeletal muscle proteomics changes. However, at 5 months, the CRYO group showed greater reductions in fasting glucose (0.41 mmol/L, p = 0.026) and LDL cholesterol (0.44 mmol/L, p = 0.034).
Conclusions
WBC did not significantly enhance weight loss, activate BAT, or alter most metabolic responses during conventional obesity management. Further research is needed to confirm whether WBC benefits glucose and cholesterol metabolism.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01312090.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
Community trust
Loading…
How much do you trust this study's findings?
Comments
Sign in to rate, comment on or flag this study.Sign inSomething wrong here?
Flag this study if its information, labels or funding look wrong. An editor reviews every flag.
Sign in to rate, comment on or flag this study.Sign inEducational information about published research. Not medical advice, and not a recommendation to start or stop anything.