Provision of nutritional/lifestyle counseling on diabetes self-management: a chance to improve metabolic control in new cases of type 2 diabetes

Background/ Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is an increasing public health problem primarily because of increase in the prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle and obesity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of self-management education on metabolic control in adults with T2D.Design: A quasi-experimental studySetting: The Diabetes Society of Natanz, Isfahan from October 2012 to January 2013.Subjects: 300 patients with T2D. The patients participated in a 16-week educational program held by trained dietician. At baseline, the intervention group attended a 20 minute lifestyle and nutritional oral education program. Participants were assessed at baseline, 2 and 4 month follow up for changes in body mass index, glycemic status and lipid profile. Non-parametric and parametric descriptive and Group×time (pre-post) repeated measure analysis of variance were done. The mean (±SD) amount of weight lost between baseline and the end of 16 weeks was 0.66±1.62 kg in compared to baseline (P<0.001). Significant time×treatment interaction effects were found for triglycerides (p<0.0001), High Density Lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) (p=0.001), Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) (p<0.0001), 2-hour Post Prandial Glucose (2hPPG) (p<0.0001), Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) (p<0.0001), Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) (p<0.0001) and Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (p=0.001). Mean FBS concentrations decreased by 30 mg/dl at week 16. There was a nonsignificant increase in the HbA1c. Nutritional/lifestyle counseling may improve metabolic control in T2D patients. So, it is possible to improve T2D control by means of nonpharmacologic interventions.