Comparison of Plasma Concentrations for Some Biological Markers in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Before and After Consuming a Vegetarian Diet

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus has been increasing worldwide in recent years. Long-term diabetes results in vascular changes and dysfunction. Complications of diabetes are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. ^[1] Renal involvement is an important complication of diabetes mellitus. End-stage kidney with renal failure accounts for deaths in more than 10% of all diabetics. ^[2]

Diet therapy is fundamentally important for both diabetes and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) to maintain glucose control and suppress the progression of renal damage.^[3] The main nutrition-related goals for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) involve the slowing of kidney failure progression rate and minimizing uremic toxicity and metabolic disorders of kidney failure, diminishing proteinuria, maintaining good nutritional status, and lowering the risk of secondary complications including cardiovascular disease, bone disease, and disturbed blood pressure control ^[4].

The aim of our study was to compare some biological markers in patients with type 2 diabetes whom are at risk of developing kidney failure, before and after starting a vegetarian diet for at least 30 days.

Materials & Methods: In this study we measured plasma concentrations of Urea, Creatinine, Fasting Glucose, and calculated EGFR according to Cockcroft-Gault equation for of 20 patients with type 2 diabetes (5 males, 15 females), with an average age of 63 years. Blood-sampling and testing was conducted in two time periods. The first one was at the regular diet for subjects consuming all kind of foods including proteins of animal and plant sources, the second one was after at least 30 days of fasting involves abstention from all animal products (Easter Fasting).

Results: Plasma Urea was significantly lower after the diet (mean ± SD: 27 ± 11 mg/dl) than before diet (mean ± SD: 42 ± 23.55 mg/dl). Using student’s t-test P was: 0.001 ˂ 0.05. Plasma Creatinine was significantly lower after the diet (mean ± SD: 1.09 ± 0.25 mg/dl) than before diet (mean ± SD: 1.2 ± 0.3 mg/dl). Using student’s t-test P was: 0.022 ˂ 0.05. Plasma Glucose was lower after the diet (mean ± SD: 126 ± 52.15 mg/dl) than before diet (mean ± SD: 140 ± 67.44 mg/dl). Using student’s t-test P was: 0.108 ˃ 0.05. EGFR was higher after the diet (mean ± SD: 71.45 ± 26.2 ml/min) than before diet (mean ± SD: 69.45 ± 25.54 ml/min). Using student’s t-test P was: 0.039 ˂ 0.05.

Conclusion: These results may indicate that the vegetarian diet could be a kidney protective for patients with type 2 diabetes.

DOI: 10.7176/CMR/11-6-04

Publication date: August 31st 2019