The study involved 60 moderately obese people, ages between 22 and 64 years, who were followed-up for two years. Overall 46 people completed the study. These individuals were examined at regular intervals and were advised to undertake low-calorie diets.

The researchers assigned women to consume 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day and men to take 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day. Furthermore the participants were asked to exercise for at least three and a half hours per week. The main form of exercise was walking.

The participants lost weight for the first six months of the study with a maximum loss of 9% body weight or 20 pounds. "Losing 20 or so pounds might seem daunting to some people, but we showed that even a more modest weight loss can yield heart and vascular benefits," said lead author Lisa de las Fuentes.

The benefits of losing weight included decreased heart muscle thickening, improved systolic and diastolic function and reduced carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), which is a predictor for plaque formation in the arteries.

The study, appearing in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, also found that these benefits do not go away entirely even if the patient regained some of the lost weight. "It's important to realize that you can choose goals that are attainable and work progressively toward them. You don't necessarily need to lose 50 pounds to improve your heart function," said Lisa de las Fuentes.

Losing weight, even 7% to 9% of overall body weight, reduces the load on the heart. The heart muscle primarily thickens if it has to consistently pump more blood as is see in obese individuals. However once the load on the heart decreases, this muscle assumes original shape thus boosting heart health.