Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2020 Nov;57(11):1375-1382.
doi: 10.1007/s00592-020-01568-8. Epub 2020 Jul 8.

Low-carbohydrate diets and type 2 diabetes treatment: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

G A Silverii  1 , L Botarelli  2 , I Dicembrini  2 , V Girolamo  2 , F Santagiuliana  3 , M Monami  3 , E Mannucci  2
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Low-carbohydrate diets and type 2 diabetes treatment: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

G A Silverii et al. Acta Diabetol. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Aim: To assess whether LC diets are associated with long-term improvement in glycemic control and weight loss in people with T2DM, and their cardiovascular and renal safety.

Methods: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials lasting more than 3 months, retrieved through extensive search on PubMed, Embase, ClinicalTrial.gov, Cochrane databases up to March 1st, comparing LC diets and balanced carbohydrate diets in people with T2DM.

Results: We retrieved 37 trials, including 3301 patients. Average carbohydrate intake in LC diets was 36% of total energy. LC diets were associated with significant reduction of HbA1c at 3 months (MD - 0.17%, 95% CI - 0.27, - 0.07), no difference at 6 and 12 months, and significant increase at 24 months (MD 0.23%, 95% CI MD 0.02, 0.44). VLC diets were associated with significant HbA1c reduction at 3 and 6 months (MD - 0.43% - 0.60, - 0.26%, and MD - 0.40% 95% CI - 0.59, - 0.22, respectively), but not at 12 and 24 months. LC diets were associated with significant BMI reduction at 6 months (- 1.35 kg/m2 95% CI, - 2.18, - 0.52), but not at other time points. Only a minority of trials reported data on renal function, so renal safety could not be assessed. No significant differences in body weight, lipid profile, or blood pressure were found in the long term.

Conclusion: LC diets may produce small short-term improvements in HbA1c and weight, which are not maintained in the long term. Data on their renal safety are insufficient.

Keywords: Low-carbohydrate diets; Meta-analysis; Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Care D, Suppl SS (2019) 5. Lifestyle management: standards of medical care in diabetesd2019. Diabetes Care 42(January):S46–S60
    1. Colosia AD, Palencia R, Khan S (2013) “Prevalence of hypertension and obesity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in observational studies: a systematic literature review. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes Targets Ther 6:327–338 - DOI
    1. Hanefeld M, Koehler C, Gallo S, Benke I, Ott P (2007) Impact of the individual components of the metabolic syndrome and their different combinations on the prevalence of atherosclerotic vascular disease in type 2 diabetes: The Diabetes in Germany (DIG) study. Cardiovasc Diabetol 6:1–7 - DOI
    1. Mann J (1984) From Lines to Legumes: changing concepts of diabetic diets. Diabet Med 1(June):191–198 - DOI
    1. Van Eck WF (1959) The effect of a low fat diet on the serum lipids in diabetes and its significance in diabetic retinopathy. Am J Med 27(2):196–211 - DOI

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources