5-Year effects of a novel continuous remote care model with carbohydrate-restricted nutrition therapy including nutritional ketosis in type 2 diabetes: An extension study

Aims

This study assessed the five-year effects of a continuous care intervention (CCI) delivered via telemedicine, counseling people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) on a very low carbohydrate diet with nutritional ketosis.

Methods

Participants with T2D were enrolled in a 2-year, open-label, non-randomized study comparing CCI and usual care (UC). After 2 years, 194 of the 262 CCI participants were approached for a three-year extension. Of these, 169 consented, and 122 remained in the study for five years. Primary outcomes were changes in diabetes status assessed using McNemars’ test, including remission and HbA1c < 6.5 % on no glucose lowering medication or only on metformin at 5 years. Changes in body mass, glycemia, and cardiometabolic markers from baseline to 5 years were assessed using linear mixed-effects models.

Results

Twenty percent (n = 24) of the five-year completers achieved remission, with sustained remission observed over three years in 15.8 % (n = 19) and four years in 12.5 % (n = 15). Reversal to HbA1c < 6.5 % without medication or only metformin was seen in 32.5 % (n = 39). Sustained improvements were noted in body mass (−7.6 %), HbA1c (−0.3 %), triglycerides (−18.4 %), HDL-C (+17.4 %), and inflammatory markers, with no significant changes in LDL-C and total cholesterol.

Conclusions

Over five years, the very low carbohydrate intervention showed excellent retention and significant health benefits, including diabetes remission, weight loss, and improved cardiometabolic markers.