A 90 g/day low‐carbohydrate diet improved glycemic control without decreasing frailty in older patients with type 2 diabetes: A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

ABSTRACT Aims This study explored the glycemic control and Fried frailty criteria of a 90 g/day low‐carbohydrate diet (LCD) in older patients with type 2 diabetes over 18 months. Methods Forty‐four older patients with type 2 diabetes and HbA1c ≥ 7.5% (58 mmol/mol) at the outpatient clinics were randomly assigned to a 90 g/day LCD or traditional diabetic diet (TDD). The analysis was performed using an intention‐to‐treat analysis. Results A total of 42 (95.5%) patients completed the trial. The 18‐month mean change from baseline was statistically significant for 2‐h glucose (−100.0 ± 57.7 vs −18.6 ± 86.2 mg/dL) and waist circumference (−6.3 ± 7.9 vs −1.7 ± 4.7 cm) between the LCD and TDD groups (P 0.05). Conclusions A 90 g/d LCD reflected improved glycemic control with significantly lower waist circumference without decreasing frailty in older patients with type 2 diabetes.

Keywords

• Diabetes
• Frailty
• Low‐carbohydrate diet