Type 2 diabetes: Diet and nutritional management

Sustained remission of type 2 diabetes in DiRECT was accompanied by normalization of pancreatic morphology, say the researchers.

The pilot MIDDAS study suggests that a 2-day per week very-low-calorie diet could be a viable alternative to a continuous diet for people with type 2 diabetes who struggle with this approach.

The strongest predictor of type 2 diabetes remission is weight loss, with other variables only modestly associated with outcome and insufficient to identify people unsuitable for attempting this goal, shows a post-hoc analysis of DiRECT data.

Among people with obesity and type 2 diabetes, substantial weight loss is associated with similar metabolic benefits irrespective of whether it is achieved through gastric bypass surgery or diet, suggests research published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Two prospective studies published in The BMJ add to the evidence that higher intake of fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain foods is associated with a decreased risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Focusing efforts on convincing people to return after the first session of the US National Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle change program, and after the transition to less frequent sessions, may help to optimize program retention, say researchers.

The DIADEM-I randomized trial demonstrates substantial remission of type 2 diabetes in people from the Middle East and in north Africa after they undertake a total meal-replacement very-low-calorie diet.

The results of a small randomized trial suggest exercise is more helpful than diet for combating early cardiac dysfunction associated with type 2 diabetes, although both may be beneficial.

A clinical decision-making tool to assist type 2 diabetes management during fasting for Ramadan results in significant reductions in glycated hemoglobin and improvements in fasting blood glucose, researchers report.

Research indicates that efforts to improve diet on a population basis would do more to prevent diabetes in higher than lower socioeconomic status groups, because of the effect of multiple concurrent diabetes risk factors among less affluent people.

Restricting eating to within a 10-hour daily window results in weight loss and metabolic benefits for people with metabolic syndrome, report researchers in Cell Metabolism.

People who are trying to maintain weight loss with the help of electronic health records-based tracking tools do significantly better if they are given access to an online coach, shows a randomized trial.

Adding intensive weight management to group medical visits for type 2 diabetes leads to greater weight loss, reduced medication use, and fewer hypoglycemic events, with a similar improvement in glycemic control, research shows.

A systematic review and meta-analysis published in The BMJ confirms that intake of omega-3 fats does not influence the risk for or progression of type 2 diabetes.

The very-low-calorie diet intervention used in the DiRECT trial is feasible and associated with type 2 diabetes remission in residents of Barbados, researchers report.

Genetics and dietary fat each influence people’s risk for developing type 2 diabetes, but without any interaction between the two, show the findings of an individual participant data meta-analysis.

The quality of the evidence for the role of specific dietary factors in type 2 diabetes incidence is generally poor and requires better conducted research with more detailed assessments, suggests an umbrella review of meta-analyses.

Increasing polyunsaturated fatty acid intake may decrease all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk in people with type 2 diabetes, shows research published in The BMJ.

People who achieved sustained remission of type 2 diabetes via substantial weight loss in the DiRECT trial regained normal maximal beta-cell capacity, the investigators report.

Findings from the GRAVITAS trial indicate that use of the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide alongside a diet and physical activity intervention may improve glycemic control among people with persistent or recurrent type 2 diabetes after bariatric surgery.