Abstract

FERNANDES, Tatiana. Impact of Individualized Nutrition Therapy On Glycemic Control Of Diabetics. Acta Port Nutr [online]. 2017, n.9, pp.18-22. ISSN 2183-5985.  https://doi.org/10.21011/apn.2017.0904.

Introduction: Diabetes Mellitus is a metabolic disease with great prevalence amongst the Portuguese population. An adequate glycemic control is an important measure for any diabetic patient. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is an important parameter when monitoring glycemic control. The diet followed by diabetics conditions the disease’s control and complication prevention in the long-term. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the impact of individualized nutrition therapy in the treatment of Diabetes Mellitus, namely in the evolution of HbA1c. Methodology: Prospective study developed at Centro Hospitalar Cova da Beira individuals with type 1 or type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, which have attended the Nutrition Consultation. Results: The sample was constituted by 70 diabetic individuals, of which 15.7% were diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and 84.3% with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. The age average was 58.61 ± 14.61 years old, with a statistically significant difference between the two types of Diabetes Mellitus (p<0.001). As for their nutritional state, the majority of type 2 diabetics were obese, while type 1 diabetics had normal weight. The HbA1c average before and after nutrition therapy was 8.8 ± 1.9% and 7.6 ± 1.3%, respectively, and statistically significant (p<0.001). It was verified that, only after diet counselling, there was a significant difference in the anthropometric parameters in type 2 diabetics (p=0.003). Conclusions: Individualized nutrition therapy allows the improvement of glycemic control through the decrease of the HbA1c value and the anthropometric parameters, particularly in type 2 diabetics. Therefore, Medical Nutrition Therapy is an efficient measure in the treatment of Diabetes Mellitus and, for this reason, should be mandatory and accessible to all individuals diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus.

Keywords : Glycemic control; Diabetes Mellitus; Glycated hemoglobin; Nutritional therapy.

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