Effectiveness of medical nutrition treatment delivered by dietitians on glycaemic outcomes and lipid profiles of Arab, Omani patients with Type 2 diabetes

AIMS: In this randomized controlled trial we evaluated the effectiveness of medical nutritional therapy on Arab patients with Type 2 diabetes in Oman delivered by a dietitian. METHODS: Patients with Type 2 diabetes (n = 170) were randomly assigned to a group receiving usual nutritional care (n = 85) or a group receiving practice guidelines nutritional care (n = 85). Anthropometric (weight, height, BMI and waist circumference) and biochemical (fasting blood glucose, HbA1c) variables were measured at baseline and after each appointment. Patients were given 1-3 appointments with a dietitian over 6 months. RESULTS: Those in the group receiving practice guidelines nutritional care (n = 85) had significant changes in HbA (1c) (-0. 8%, P = 0. 001), fasting plasma glucose (-1. 3 mmol, P = 0. 003) and weight (-5. 1 kg, P = 0. 05), whereas the patients in the usual nutritional care group (n = 85) had no significant improvements in either HbA (1c) (-0. 4%, P = 0. 248) or fasting plasma glucose (-0. 2 mmol/l, P = 0. 638) during the same period. We also found a significant difference between the group receiving practice guidelines nutritional care and the usual nutritional care group, respectively, in waist circumference (96. 9 ± 7. 9 vs. 100. 0 ± 8. 7 cm, P = 0. 019), triglycerides levels (1. 42 ± 0. 58 vs. 1. 98 ± 0. 96 mmol, P = 0. 001), cholesterol levels (5. 1 ± 1. 0 vs. 5. 5 ± 0. 9 mmol/l, P = 0. 009) and LDL cholesterol levels (3. 58 ± 0. 98 vs. 3. 89 ± 0. 98 mmol/l, P = 0. 046). CONCLUSIONS: Medical nutrition therapy provided by dietitians to Arab patients with Type 2 diabetes in Oman resulted in significant improvements in anthropometric and biochemical outcomes in both the usual nutritional care group and the group receiving practice guidelines nutritional care. Subjects with Type 2 diabetes tended to do better with practice guidelines nutritional care than with usual nutritional care. Ongoing medical counselling in nutrition by a trained dietitian is important for better long-term metabolic control.