USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: USNA) announced today that results of a large, third-party clinical study involving USANA products, conducted at the University of Colorado Denver (UCD), have been published in the August 2009 edition of the journal Obesity and Weight Management.

The recently completed study confirms that lifestyle change can significantly improve outcomes in subjects with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a pre-diabetic state that involves multiple symptoms including central obesity, insulin resistance, elevated blood lipids, elevated blood glucose, and high blood pressure. The 12-week long study was conducted with 60 people diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. Subjects followed an Internet based lifestyle modification program that included USANA's nutritional supplements, moderate exercise, and a low-glycemic diet including USANA's nutritional shakes and bars.

Over the 12-week program, subjects in the study lost an average of 12 pounds and experienced significant improvements in measures of glycemic control, cardiovascular risk factors, inflammation, and antioxidant status. Importantly, by the end of the trial, one-third of the subjects no longer met the criteria for metabolic syndrome.

Holly Wyatt, a physician and faculty member of the University of Colorado's Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, oversaw the study. "This is a very promising program that produced some very positive changes in the cardiovascular risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome," Dr. Wyatt said. "The shifts in dietary habits to calorically restricted low-glycemic meals and the modest increases in physical activity were not only effective but also are realistic behavioral changes many people can make."

“We are thrilled with the results of this clinical study and are excited to see it published in Obesity and Weight Management,” said Tim Wood, USANA’s Executive Vice President of Research and Development. “It is gratifying to have independent confirmation that our products and approaches to healthy lifestyle management work.”

About USANA
USANA Health Sciences develops and manufactures high-quality nutritionals, personal care, energy and weight management products that are sold directly to Preferred Customers and Associates throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Mexico, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.