A RECENT study suggests that 5:2 intermittent fasting meal replacement diet could be an effective initial lifestyle intervention for managing early type 2 diabetes. The Exploration of Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Overweight/Obese Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (EARLY) study evaluated the efficacy of the 5:2 MR diet compared to the commonly prescribed diabetes medications; metformin and empagliflozin.
The randomised, open-label clinical trial included 405 adults with early type 2 diabetes, recruited from nine centres across China between November 2020 and December 2022. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: the 5:2 MR diet, metformin, or empagliflozin. The study lasted for 16 weeks, followed by an 8-week follow-up period.
Results showed that out of the 405 participants (65.4% men, average age 45.5 years, average BMI 29.5), 332 completed the 16-week treatment. The primary outcome measured was the change in haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels from baseline to 16 weeks. The 5:2 MR group experienced the greatest reduction in HbA1c levels, with an average decrease of 1.9% compared to 1.6% in the metformin group and 1.5% in the empagliflozin group. Additionally, participants in the 5:2 MR group also saw significant weight loss, averaging 9.7 kg, compared to 5.5kg in the metformin group and 5.8kg in the empagliflozin group.
The study concluded that the 5:2 MR diet could provide superior short-term improvements in glycaemic control and weight loss compared to traditional diabetes medications. These findings suggest that the 5:2 MR diet could be a promising initial intervention for managing type 2 diabetes, offering an effective alternative to conventional pharmacological treatments.
Aleksandra Zurowska, EMJ
Reference:
Guo L et al. A 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Meal Replacement Diet and Glycemic Control for Adults With Diabetes: The EARLY Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(6):e2416786.
