Pattern analysis method for assessing successful weight reduction.

Author: Holman SL, Goldstein DJ, Enas GG

Author affiliation: Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company Indianapolis, Indiana.

Publication date & source: 1994.05, Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord., 18(5):281-5.

Publication type: Clinical Trial; Multicenter Study; Randomized Controlled Trial

Researchers reporting on clinical weight loss programmes have been challenged to provide information about long-term follow-up. To evaluate long-term weight reduction, a methodology was developed for analysis of longitudinal data. Under this method, a pattern of interest is defined a priori, and the proportions of patients attaining the pattern are compared between treatments. The methodology permits objective summarization and statistical analysis of the data. Applications of the method and corresponding results demonstrate its utility for assessing the treatment effect on weight reduction and systolic blood pressure. To show that the method may be further generalized, suggestions for alternative types of patterns are presented.