TOPLINE:
Shifting to a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products and low in sodium, sugar-sweetened beverages, and red and processed meat may reduce liver fat, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in patients with diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes (T2D).
METHODOLOGY:
- Patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and T2D often have higher levels of SAT, VAT, and liver lipids, which increase the risk for cardiovascular, kidney, and liver diseases; evidence is limited about the health impact of a simple diet developed for people with hypertension.
- Researchers investigated the link between the baseline Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score and baseline SAT, VAT, and hepatic lipid content (HLC) in 335 patients aged 18-69 years from the German Diabetes Study, who were diagnosed with T1D or T2D in the last 12 months.
- They also examined the link between adherence to a DASH-like diet and changes in the VAT, SAT, and HLC over 5 years in 111 patients with diabetes.
- A higher intake of fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains, along with a lower intake of sodium, sugar-sweetened beverages, and red and processed meat received better DASH scores, with scores ranging between 8 points (lowest adherence) and 40 points (highest adherence).
TAKEAWAY:
- A higher baseline DASH score was associated with a lower HLC in patients with T2D (per 5 points: Beta coefficient, −1.5%; 95% CI, −2.7% to −0.3%).
- At 5 years, a 5-point increase in the DASH score was linked to decreased VAT accumulation in patients with T2D (beta coefficient, −514; 95% CI, −800 cm3 to −228 cm3) and, with less precise estimates, in patients with T1D.
- Changes in the body mass index and waist circumference explained 48% and 32% of the associations, respectively, between changes in the DASH score and VAT in patients with T2D.
IN PRACTICE:
"Stronger adherence to the DASH diet indicates adopting a healthier lifestyle, contributing to lower HLC and VAT," the authors wrote.
SOURCE:
Edyta Schaefer, MSc, Institute for Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Centre, Leibniz Centre for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany, led this study, which was published online in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
LIMITATIONS:
Owing to the observational nature of this study, causalities of the observed associations could not be inferred. Misclassifications about the diet could not be ruled out because they were self-reported by patients. Lastly, as the German Diabetes Study is still ongoing, dietary follow-up and imaging data were not available for all the participants.
DISCLOSURES:
This work was supported by the German Diabetes Center and now receives additional funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Some authors reported receiving fees and grants, serving on advisory boards, and having other ties with pharmaceutical companies, government advisory boards, and other sources.