Medical Nutrition Therapy Wins Again in the Treatment of Type I Diabetes
A study done at Joslin Medical Center has shown that following a prescribed diet is associated with better glycemic control in Type I diabetes. The researcher stated that in recent years treatment had shifted focus from diet to medications and technologies. In this study the importance of diet was evaluated.
The study followed 119 children aged 9-14 and surveyed the parents on how closely their children followed prescribed dietary intake like carbohydrate counting, balancing insulin dose to carbohydrates consumed, and the quality of the diet itself including sweets and fats.
Subjects who indicated a close adherence to prescribed diet therapy achieved lower HbA1C levels than those who did not adhere to their diet. By achieving target HbA1C levels, chances for complications are reduced by 50-75%. The children who indicated that they followed their prescribed diet were almost a full point lower in their HbA1C levels.
According to the researcher “the relative importance of diet has not been evaluated in this era.” The paper concluded that “dietary adherence may represent an important modifiable factor in the treatment of youth with type 1 diabetes. In this era of intensive management, future interventions aimed at increasing diabetes-specific dietary adherence may improve glycemic control in this population.”
Kathy Shattler received her Master of Science degree from Michigan State University in E. Lansing Michigan in Human Nutrition. Her twenty-two years of practice includes holding positions as a Lecturer, Chief Clinical Dietitian and Program Manager. Kathy is the Founder of Nutri-Care Consulting and is currently the Nutrition Director of www.CEU4U.COM, an online continuing education management company for Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians.
