Carbohydrate restriction lowers cardiometabolic risk factors in type 2 diabetes: Study

Carbohydrate restriction is effective for type 2 diabetes management. Researchers aimed to evaluate the dose-dependent effect of carbohydrate restriction in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Researchers systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to May 2021 for randomized controlled trials evaluating the effect of a carbohydrate-restricted diet (≤45% total calories) in patients with type 2 diabetes. The primary outcome was glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Secondary outcomes included fasting plasma glucose (FPG); body weight; serum total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol; triglyceride (TG); and systolic blood pressure (SBP). We performed random-effects dose-response meta-analyses to estimate mean differences (MDs) for a 10% decrease in carbohydrate intake.

The results of the study are:

• Fifty trials with 4291 patients were identified.
• At 6 months, compared with a carbohydrate intake between 55%–65% and through a maximum reduction down to 10%, each 10% reduction in carbohydrate intake reduced HbA1c (MD, −0.20%; 95% CI, −0.27% to −0.13%), FPG (MD, −0.34 mmol/L; 95% CI, −0.56 to −0.12 mmol/L), and body weight (MD, −1.44 kg; 95% CI, −1.82 to −1.06 kg).
• There were also reductions in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, TG, and SBP.
• Levels of HbA1c, FPG, body weight, TG, and SBP decreased linearly with the decrease in carbohydrate intake from 65% to 10%.
• A U-shaped effect was seen for total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, with the greatest reduction at 40%. At 12 months, a linear reduction was seen for HbA1c and TG.
• A U-shaped effect was seen for body weight, with the greatest reduction at 35%.

Thus, carbohydrate restriction can significantly reduce the levels of cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes. Levels of most cardiometabolic outcomes decreased linearly with the decrease in carbohydrate intake. U-shaped effects were seen for total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol at 6 months and for body weight at 12 months.

Reference:

Dose-dependent effect of carbohydrate restriction for type 2 diabetes management: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Get access Arrow by Ahmad Jayedi, et al. published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac066

Keywords:

Dose-dependent, effect, carbohydrate, restriction, type 2 diabetes, management, systematic review, dose-response, meta-analysis, randomized, controlled trials, by Ahmad Jayedi, Sheida Zeraattalab-Motlagh, Bahareh Jabbarzadeh, Yasaman Hosseini, Aliyu Tijen Jibril, Hossein Shahinfar, Amin, The American Journal of Clinical NutritionMirrafiei, Fatemeh Hosseini, Sakineh Shab- Bidar, adiposity, carbohydrate restriction, ketogenic diet, low-carbohydrate diet, randomized controlled trial, obesity, type 2 diabetes