A study to correlate effect of dietary modification on biochemical and cardiovascular parameters among prediabetics

OBJECTIVES: Dietary factors are important in the prevention and treatment of prediabetes and diabetes mellitus (DM). This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence, associated risk factors, dietary modification, and calories consumption calculated by the food frequency questionnaire and correlate them with the metabolic parameters, namely blood glucose, HbA1c, lipid profile, and cardiovascular parameters as heart rate variability and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) among the prediabetics. METHODS: An experimental interventional study was carried out in the Department of Physiology and Medicine at the RUHS College of Medical Sciences and Associated Group of Hospitals. The assessments were done at baseline and after 6 months of post-dietary modification. The total duration of the study was 6 months. A total of 250 prediabetic subjects were enrolled. Study Group A (n = 125) was engaged in dietary modification, whereas Group B (n = 125) was considered as control. The dietary assessment was done by a food frequency questionnaire. RESULT: After dietary modification, a decrease in the body mass index (1.3%), systolic blood pressure (3.1%), diastolic blood pressure (3.1%), blood glucose (2.8%), triglyceride (2.8%), high density lipoprotein (0.9%), HbA1c (2%), cholesterol (1.4%), and low-frequency/high-frequency ratios (1%), carotid intima media thickness (1.6%), as compared to control, was noticed after 6 months of dietary modification. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that prediabetics required health education including nutritional education as diet modification can play an important role to encourage diabetes-onset prevention and its related complications. The health-care providers and workers should increase the awareness about the importance of diet and encourage the prediabetics toward a healthy lifestyle, which may help in the quality of life and appropriate self-care, primary prevention of diabetes and its complications. CTRI REGISTRATION: CTRI/2017/06/008825.