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Ketogenic diet causes ‘remarkable’ effect in patients with diabetes
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The ketogenic diet lowered blood glucose and HbA1c levels in patients with diabetes, according to study findings presented at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo.
“Experts caution that very little evidence indicates that the keto diet is effective over the long term for anything except managing epilepsy — but some research does suggest that this diet could help with other medical conditions such as diabetes,” the association said in a press release.
Kanchana Lakshmi Prasanna Angati, MD, of CARE Hospitals in Visakhapatnam, India, led a team that followed 110 patients (ratio of men to women, 3:1) aged 35 to 60 years who had a BMI of either 26 kg/m2 or 27 kg/m2 and changed their eating habits to reflect a low carbohydrate- high fat, or ketogenic, diet. At baseline, the mean HbA1c level of patients was 7.8% and mean glucose level was 169 mg/dL.
Researchers found that after 3 months, the patients’ mean HbA1c level dropped to 6.43%, mean glucose level was 137 mg/dL (P < .0010) and BMI levels dropped to 23 kg/m2or 24 kg/m2. The number of patients taking diabetes-related medications also decreased. The only adverse event reported was mild constipation.
“A low carbohydrate-high fat or ketogenic diet over 3 months led to a remarkable reduction in HbA1c levels ... this diet can also improve insulin sensitivity and reduce insulin resistance, all of which help control metabolic syndrome,” Angati told Healio Primary Care.
She added that she is now researching how the ketogenic diet impacts the Kraft insulin assay and HOMA insulin resistance test. – by Janel Miller
Reference: Angati KLP. Low carbohydrate and high fat or keto diet effect on HbA1c levels in type 2 diabetics. Presented at: American Association for Clinical Chemistry Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo; Aug. 4-8, 2019; Anaheim, California.
Disclosures: Healio Primary Care was unable to determine Angati’s relevant financial disclosures prior to publication.