Total Pageviews

Saturday 2 June 2012

Low carbohydrate diet in type 1 diabetes, long-term improvement and adherence: A clinical audit

Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome 2012, 4:23 doi:10.1186/1758-5996-4-23
Published: 31 May 2012

Abstract (provisional)

Background

Reduction of dietary carbohydrates and corresponding insulin doses stabilizes and lowers mean blood glucose in individuals with type 1 diabetes within days. The long-term adherence for persons who have learned this technique is unknown. To assess adherence over 4 years in such a group the present audit was done retrospectively by record analysis for individuals who have attended an educational course. Adherence was assessed from HbA1c changes and individuals' own reports. Findings Altogether 48 persons with diabetes duration of 24 +/- 12 years and HbA1c > = 6.1% (Mono-S; DCCT = 7.1%) attended the course. Mean HbA1c for all attendees was at start, at 3 months and 4 years 7.6% +/- 1.0%, 6.3 +/- 0.7%, 6.9 +/- 1.0% respectively. The number of non-adherent persons was 25 (52%). HbA1c in this group was at start, at 3 months and 4 years: 7.5 +/-1.1%, 6.5 +/- 0.8%, 7.4 +/- 0.9%. In the group of 23 (48%) adherent persons mean HbA1c was at start, at 3 months and 4 years 7.7 +/- 1.0%, 6.4 +/- 0.9%, 6.4 +/- 0.8%.

Conclusion

Attending an educational course on dietary carbohydrate reduction and corresponding insulin reduction in type 1 diabetes gave lasting improvement. About half of the individuals adhered to the program after 4 years. The method may be useful in informed and motivated persons with type 1 diabetes. The number needed to treat to have lasting effect in 1 was 2

The complete article is available as a provisional PDF. The fully formatted PDF and HTML versions are in production.


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ye Gods how can this be ? ? Of course it will be declared unsafe by those that know better.

Surprised Fergus hasnt commented

Anonymous said...

"Ye Gods how can this be ? ? Of course it will be declared unsafe by those that know better."

That would be phoenix then lol!

Mel

Lowcarb team member said...

"That would be phoenix then lol!"

Of course phoenix a self proclaimed expert on Low Carb would disagree, though the stats show that the majority of T1s show a failure to reach target A1cs.

Graham