Diabetic Med: Type 2 diabetes with intermittent fasting and low blood sugar risk?

Recently, the international magazine Diabetic Med published a study on the risk of intermittent fasting and hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial. To determine whether a 2-day non-diabetic patient is at a higher risk of a 2-day low-calorie diet hypoglycemia than a non-dynamic 2-day low-calorie diet.

This is an unblinded randomized parallel group intervention trial for intermittent fasting in adults. Participants had a BMI of 30-45 kg/m 2 and were treated with metformin and/or hypoglycemic agents for type 2 diabetes and HbA 1c concentrations of 50-86 mmol/mol (6.7-10%). Participants followed the 2092-2510-kJ diet 2 days a week for 12 weeks. A total of 41 participants were randomly assigned to dynamic (n = 19) or non-dynamic (n = 22) fasting in a 1:1 ratio, and the final analysis included 37 (n=18 and n=19, respectively. The results were differences in the incidence of hypoglycemia between the two study groups. Secondary outcomes included changes in diet, quality of life, body weight, lipids, glucose and HbA 1c levels, and liver function.

The study showed that the average incidence of hypoglycemia was 1.4 times in 12 weeks. Despite the reduction in medication, fasting also increased the incidence of hypoglycemia (RR 2.05, 95% CI 1.17 to 3.52). There was no difference between dynamic fasting and non-dynamic fasting (RR 1.54, 95% CI 0.35 to 6.11). Both arms participants showed weight, HbA 1c, fasting blood glucose and improved quality of life.

The results of the study showed that any type of fasting in patients with type 2 diabetes who took hypoglycemic drugs increased the incidence of hypoglycemia. As education and drugs decrease, fewer hypoglycaemic events occur than expected.Currently, although it is not possible to determine whether a dynamic day of fasting increases the risk of hypoglycemia, an acceptable rate is observed in both groups.