In June 2018 researchers from the USA published the results of their study to assess the association between three diets and microalbuminuria in 416 individuals with youth-onset type 1 diabetes. The three diets assessed were a modified Mediterranean diet, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH diet) and the Healthy Eating Index-2010 diet. Forty-three per cent of the individuals were female, had an average age of 20 years and had been diagnosed with type I diabetes for at least 108 months. Seven per cent of the individuals had microalbuminuria at the start of the study. Results showed that a greater adherence to the Healthy Eating Index-2010 diet reduced microalbuminuria. However, it was noted that many of the individuals found it difficult to keep within the guidelines of the modified Mediterranean diet and DASH diet which may explain why no association was seen between these diets and microalbuminuria. The researchers therefore concluded that the Healthy Eating Index-10 diet may be beneficial for kidney health in youth and young adults with type 1 diabetes.
Costacou T et al. Dietary Patterns Over Time and Microalbuminuria in Youth and Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes: The SEARCH Nutrition Ancillary Study. Diabetes Care. 2018 Jun 14. [Epub ahead of print]